Teamwork - Maximising the contributions of people who work in a virtual environment
Client
Project
Business, Background & Objectives
The reality for many multinational organisations is delivering true international business coverage through geographically dispersed business units. To produce consistent results, people must work effectively together across functional, cultural and geographic boundaries.
Telecommuincations satellite
Our client created a virtual team from staff in three locations (across Europe and the US) to rapidly develop a software program for a new cellphone product. The team was given its Charter without face-to-face communication from its sponsor, and little consideration was given to the different cultures, communication styles and decision-making processes of the three locations.
In Detail
Primeast was brought in as the deterioration in communication between the locations threatened the project deadline. Over the next three months we:
Interviewed the 27 team members / managers to document the issues
Planned team building sessions with representatives from each location
Facilitated a three-day workshop with the whole team that produced:
a revised Charter with clear boundaries and accountabilities
new ground rules for collaborative working
fresh rapport and mutual respect from “clearing the air” and solving problems together
Facilitated monthly telephone conferences to monitor progress
The Result
Following Primeast’s input, the main short-term goal was achieved - the project was completed on time and on budget. On the larger scale, productivity increased as information-sharing, collaborative problem solving and decision-making became the norm.