copy virtual teams & global development perspectives

8/10/2019 Copy Virtual Teams & Global Development Perspectives

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/copy-virtual-teams-global-development-perspectives 1/41



Agenda

! Virtual Teams – Virtual team concept, procedures and limitations – Cross Cultural communication



What is a Virtual Teams?

! A committed group of people working from any remote

global location (home, client site, across regions etc.)…

! with a shared, meaningful purpose

! who work together

! toward a common goal

! with team members separated by time, space, and

! perhaps culture



Why a Virtual team

! They are now the rule and not the exception andonly will increase in the future

! They can use the best people located anywhere inthe world

! The lead to or anizations bein more com etitive

and more responsive

! They have transformed organizations so strategiesare optimized, and resources are available to

respond to complex and competitive businessproblems

! They can have a 24 hour, not an 8 hour, workday!!



Types of Virtual Teams

! Offshore: refers to a foreign locale that is far away indistance and, more importantly, far apart in time from yourprimary location

! Onshore: also refers to a foreign’

oca e u one a s muc c oser

to you

! Nearshore: is a locale in the same country as yours, or

! Combination of all of the above



So, Which “Shore” is Best for You?

! Relative to Canada, India, China, Brazil, Eastern Europe.. areconsidered offshore locations since they are thousands of milesaway and between 9 and 13.5 time zones away.

! Relative to Canada, Mexico, Central America and US are

considered nearshore locations since they are all pretty close in-. .,

zero and two time zones away.

! Any Canadian locale is considered onshore.

Of the two considerations, distance and time, the latter is the most

critical. All other factors being equal, it is much more effective towork with a nearshore partner that is in the same time zone as yoursthan it is to do it with an onshore vendor that is three or four timezones away.



Benefits of Virtual teams

! Access to more expertise, skills regardless of location

! More flexibility – teams can be formed and disbanded withlittle cost

!

Greatly reduces costs - access to lower cost resourcesand reduced travel cost

! Increase in productivity - more personal flexibility,commute time is reduced, and work is not limited by thetraditional 9-5 work day schedule

! Increases communication and learning acrossorganization

! Encourages appreciation of diversity

.



What are the virtual team tools?! Audio/Video Conference calls

! Email

! Intranet and Desktop Computer Tools

– Web pages, blogs, wikis...

! Collaborative tools

– Instant messaging

– Document sharing

– Scheduling

– Discussion boards

! Commercial tools: Net meeting, Placeware, Caucus,WebCrossing, Communispace, GroupMind Express



Key Success Factors

1. Foster effective communications: Listen proactively, don’t makeassumptions, use appropriate technology, watch your tone, berespectful

2. Focus on building relationships and trust: regular one on ones,

encourage positive and respectful interaction, learn about familiesand interests, lead by example

3. Establish team identity & key processes : clear roles andresponsibilities, team charter, performance measurement, decisionmaking, problem resolution

4. Conduct effective virtual meetings: prepare, purpose and agenda,

use of technology, full participation, document results

5. Recognize & reward team members

6. Enable collaboration & communication.



Why is a Virtual Team Challenging?

! Members located in different locations

– Time zone differences

– Cultural & language differences

– Lack of face to face interactions !

! Difficult to build & maintain trust

! Increased difficulty with communicating; working

together; and producing high-quality, on-timeresults



PM Cultures

Effective use of cross cultural teams canprovide a source of experience andinnovative thinking to enhance the

competitive position of organizations.

Cultural differences can interfere with thesuccessful completion of projects intoday’s multicultural global business

community.



Cross Cultural Differences

! Relations between people: individualism versus collectivism

! Motivational orientation: Societies choose ways to cope withthe inherent uncertainty of living: masculinity versus femininity,amount of uncertainty avoidance, and power distance

! - -orientation

Multicultural global business community

encounters cultural differences, which caninterfere with the successful completion of

projects.



Cross Cultural Differences

Paternalism

Fatalism

Socio-cultural dimensions

n a paterna st c re at ons p, t erole of the superior is to provide

guidance, protection, nurturing andcare to the subordinate, and the

role of the subordinate, in return, is

to be loyal and deferential to thesuperior.

Fatalism is the belief that it is notpossible to fully control the

outcomes of one’s actions and

therefore, trying too hard toachieve something and making

long-term plans are not worthwhileexercises.



Implications for Project Management

! Cultural patterns at work reflect cultural patterns in the widersociety.

! Project managers share the cultures of their society and of

their organization with their project teams.

! For instance, project management techniques and trainingpackages have been developed almost exclusively inindividualist countries, first of all in the USA, and are basedon cultural assumptions that may not hold in collectivistcultures.



Implications for Project Management

! The ability to communicate “bad news” and to manageperformance are considered key skills for a successfulproject manager.

! In collectivist/particularistic/communitarian culturesgreater attention is also given to the obligations ofrelationships and to unique circumstances.

! Friendship has special obligations and hence may comefirst.

! Accordingly, less attention is given to abstract legal codes.

! In individualist/universalist cultures, the law and socialnorms may take precedence over friendships.



Peo le from different cultures

Such assumptionsstem from potentiallydevastatingignorance and canlead to much

Entering a culture withthis type ofethnocentrism, theassumption your ownculture is correct, isanother byproduct ofignorance and culturalmisunderstanding.

What can go wrong?

encode and decodemessages differently,increasing the chances ofmisunderstanding, so thesafety-first consequence ofrecognizing culturaldifferences should be to

assume that everyone’sthoughts and actions are notjust like ours.

frustration formembers of bothcultures.



DecoderEncoder Message

Personalityscreen ofsource

Personalityscreen ofreceiver

Communication Process

Basic Communication Model:

Source Receiver

Perceptionscreen ofsource

Perceptionscreen ofreceiver

Feedback

Noise =



Aspects of Information Distribution

! Language: consider using language (project managementterminology) that is understood by others and avoid using poorlyunderstood acronyms

! Noise: interferes with the transmission or understanding of themessage.

! Types of Screens: includes personality and perception screens

! Feedback: acknowledging receipt of message to ensurecommon understanding that does not imply agreement. Ensurethat the message has been understood by asking questions andhaving the person repeat the message back to you using theirown words

! Diversity: consider using various types of communication toolsto clarify concepts, ideas and processes

! Styles & Personality Types: be aware of differentcommunication styles and personality types



Even when two people thinkthey can speak each other'slanguage, the chance of erroris high. Usages and

contextual inferences may be

Language

comp e e y eren e weencultures.



Communication Methods

! Oral

– Informal

! Conversations, voice mail

– Formal

!

Meetings, presentations

– Memos, letters, Forms, Reports, documents, email

! Graphics

– Drawings, charts, Samples, models, Mockups

! Actions

– Physical action, Body language, Signs



Rights, values, and needs

Some cultural characteristics will be easy to identify,e.g. whether people are conscious of status or make

displays of material wealth.

But many rights are assumed, values are implied, andneeds are unspoken, (e.g. for safety, security, love, asense of belonging to a group, self-esteem, and the

ability to attain one's goals).



Assumptions

People may misinterpret each other's motives. Forexample, one group may assume that they are simply

exchanging information about what they believe, but theother believes that they are negotiating a change in

behavior.



Improving Intercultural Communication

! Research the cultures and communication conventions of thosewhom they propose to meet.

! Set a clear agenda so that everyone understands the nature andpurpose of the interaction.

! When language skills are unequal, clarifying one’s meaning inour ways w mprove commun ca on.

! Avoid using slang and idioms, choosing words that will conveyonly the most specific denotative meaning.

! Listen carefully and, if in doubt, ask for confirmation of

understanding.



Improving Intercultural Communication

! Respect the local communication formalities and styles, andwatch for any changes in body language.

! Investigate their culture's perception of your culture byreading literature about your culture through their eyes before

entering into communication with them.' ,

show some respect by learning a few words. In all importantexchanges, a translator can convey the message.

! When writing, the choice of words represent the relationshipbetween the reader and the writer so more thought and care

should be invested in the text since it may well be thoroughlyanalyzed by the recipient.



Global Delivery

• deployment of resources fromdifferent parts of the world to providemaximally efficient service delivery.

• Global Delivery Model involveshaving the right volume of skills andthe right skills mix in the right placeat the right time and the right price

Leveraging a Global Delivery Model

.

• Global Delivery Model gives theadvantage of delivery centerslocated around the globe as well asa team working close to the businessusing consistent processes.

• Most businesses have now come toexpect Global Delivery to be anintegral component of the solutionoffered by the service provider.



Drivers for Global Delivery

Adoption of the Global Delivery Model creates competitive advantages that enables businesses tofundamentally manage cost, focus on core competencies, improve services quality, enhance agility, and

react quickly to market change.

Capture, Guarantee

and Accelerate

Savings

!Inherent cost advantages in some areas due to scale and capabilities

!Contracts can be structured to eliminate uncertainty and volatility of savings

!Suppliers can financially engineer contract to pay forward savings

Transfer to

Variable Cost

Structure

!Ensure costs are tied to consumption rates - pay for what you use

!Transfer fixed costs carried by the organization to supplier

!

Gain greater predictability of costs through established pricing

!Access to roven ideas and solutions

Manage

Cost

!Sharpens balance between technology refresh and cost efficiency

!Focus on Core Competencies

Upgrade and

Refocus Skills

!Enhance management capability and resource pool

!Enable management to increase focus on core business functions

Access to High Talent

Resource Needs

!Access to high skilled talent pool

!Access to specific talent needs

!Access to post graduate degree holders

Fix Operational

Service Problems

! Improve services, speed to market and client satisfaction through access to advancedcapabilities (e.g. 24/7 operation centres, automated processes)

!Requires commercial disciplines around end-to-end service delivery vs. internal delivery

Transfer Risk

to Provider!Transfer residual risk (e.g. operating costs, technology expertise, staff knowledge,

established R&D programs) from enterprise to supplier

Improve

Service/

Quality

Increase

Flexibility/Agility

Breed

Access to

High-

Skilled

Labor



Ireland

China

Global Delivery Vendor LandscapeNorth American & European Vendors are expanding their near shore and offshore presence,

while Asia based vendors are increasing their onshore and near shore presence

Eastern Europe

Canada

U.S.A

Established

Emerging

Mexico

India

Philippines

Jamaica

Brazil

Costa Rica

South Africa

Argentina

Ramp up offshore and near shore by North American andEuropean companies and vendorsRamp up onshore and nearshore by India-based vendors



For a successful Global delivery the following issuesneed to be addressed by the customer and theoffshore vendor:

! Requirement definition

Keys to a Successful Global Delivery

! Onsite presence

! Delivery capability

! Communication Plan

! Project Status visibility

! Geographic sanity



Onsite Presence

During any project, there are tasks that need to beaccomplished ‘on site’ at your location(s). These tasksinclude requirements definition, project management andreporting, high level design, and coordination of off site

resources to name but a few. Vendors commonly refer to‘ ’

tasks. Often offshore providers will send resources toyour site during the initial phases of project to betterunderstand the requirements and high level design and

transfer this knowledge to the offshore team



Delivery capability

! Just as there are clear ‘knowledge intensive’ or on site functionswithin any project, so, too, are there ‘labor intensives’ tasks. Forsoftware development projects, these include such things ascoding, and various levels of testing. These labor intensiveactivities are the best candidates to be conducted off site, and itis in these areas where you can expect to gain the most cost

savings. Look for organizations that utilize full time employees ine r o s e eve opmen cen ers as oppose o con rac a or.

Choosing a vendor who has a plan in place to actively mitigatestaff turnover is an often overlooked factor in overall projectquality.

! Choose a vendor that can demonstrate a proven deliverymethodology. Such as CMMI. Further, there should be aseamless exchange of tasks between the on site and off siteteams, and the vendor must be able to clearly articulate how itsmethodologies facilitate smooth transitions.



Communication Plan

Clear communication is a critical success factor inany distributed delivery engagement. Everythingfrom how resources will interface with end users tothe frequency of executive steering committees, and

everything in between, should be discussed and.

issue of communication be minimized.



Geographic Sanity

Businesses today are facing increased governmentaland consumer pressure regarding offshore initiatives.Data security requirements, questions about employeescreening, and concerns regarding a pending labor

shortage are causing many organizations to look fora ternat ve e very ve c es. ew ven ors are nowoffering domestic alternatives. The problem with many‘global’ delivery providers is that they want to moveeverything offshore. Often, the best solution may be a

combination of domestic and international deliveryfunctions. Don’t be swayed by a ‘one size fits all’approach.



Examples

! Successful Projects: Y2K

! Failed Project: the Iridium project



The Iridium project! Objective: Launch 66 low orbiting satellites

into space to produce a telecommunicationnetwork that would cover the entire globe, andallow anywhere to anywhere communications.

! Size: The largest telecommunications project

ever undertaken by the human race, costing $5billion.

! Participants: Several widely respected hightechnology organizations and about 6,000engineers, technicians and businessadministrators from many parts of the world.

! Technology: The project used some of thehighest levels of technology, included thelargest commercial software developmenteffort in history, and involved 26 countries.



The Iridium project

! During its planning, design, and early implementation stages, the projectwas expected to be a major success as it achieved some of itstechnical, delivery, and operational objectives.

! The project was a dismal commercial and financial failure, ultimately

forcing Iridium LLC to file for bankruptcy in 1999.

! Iridium LLC planned to let the 66 satellites disintegrate in space. But, inbankruptcy court, the entire venture was ultimately sold to a new entity,Iridium Satellite LLC for a mere $25 million in 2000.

! Iridium Satellite LLC foresees a viable future, focused on newapplications for a space-based system including data delivery, low-speed Internet services, and remote location users—primarily “businessand organizations that operate beyond the world’s telephone lines”.



The Iridium project

! Iridium used proven project managementmethods and best practices. However, the project

strategy relied heavily on the technical aspects.insufficiently addressed quality, feasibility, globalmarketing, team communications, and customeracceptance of the product.



The Iridium project

! The 28 members of the board speak many languages,turning meetings into mini-U.N. conferences complete withheadsets translating the proceedings into five languages.

! Problems in cross-cultural communications ma haveplayed an important role in the demise of Iridium.

! Iridium LLC CEO set up a chart with red, green and yellowcars to illustrate which consortium partners were on

schedule, which were lagging, and which were far behind.According to one person who was there, several partnerswho had been tagged with red cars refused to talk to himafter the meeting”.



International projects that useeffective cross-cultural teams

can provide a source ofexperience and innovative

thinking to enhance thecom etitive osition of their

CONCLUSIONS

Global project management cansucceed through effectiveleadership, cross-cultural

communication, and mutualrespect. Without them, it is

destined to fail.

companies, and to resolvepotential communication

barriers.Multi-cultural projects are becoming thenorm. More and more projects are beingexecuted successfully using multicultural

teams. To achieve project goals andavoid potential risks, project managers

should be culturally sensitive andpromote creativity and motivation

through flexible leadership.



Questions?

copy virtual teams & global development perspectives

Documents