The Recruiting News
LIST OF TECHNICAL
RECRUITERS
LIST OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH
FIRMS
interbiznet
BOOKCLUB
interbiznet
LISTINGS
OUR
HOME
|
Visit our Jobs In Human Resources Management Section.
Success: On the Road or Wherever You Go
(December 23, 2008)
For the past two decades, I've run my business without an office and
largely from my backpack. What I learned during that time was that the
key to my success is using my Project Management skills and giving my
team Project Management tools and training that allowed them to be
successful in a virtual workplace.
Here are four tips that anyone can use to succeed in a virtual
environment:
1. Use the Right Communication Tools to Stay in the Loop
Working virtually means creating the systems to enable people to do
their work from anywhere and everywhere. There has to be a very strong
commitment to giving people the tools they need to help run the business
and serve customers.
Since hotels often serve as my office, I have my list of "must-haves"
so I can conduct my business from theirs:
* Online and Phone Connections
These days wifi sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, the problem can
be that you get to the hotel and find out that when you log-on, you are
crawling at a snails pace. Nothing is more frustrating when you need
to get something done quickly. So, when booking a hotel make sure they
also have dataports in the room so you can plug directly into the
network if the wifi is slow or spotty.
* Business Support and Conveniences
A hotel that includes topnotch business support is top in my book.
Personal and administrative business services such as copying and
printing often save the day when Im working on a deal or closing a
new contract. A 24-hour business center is meaningless if the equipment
is outdated and not working.
Other tools I use to keep communication tight, regardless of my
location, include:
* Wiki, a collaborative workspace online that is now part of Google.
We use the Wiki as a central hub for our work where we coordinate our
projects and processes. It has increased the productivity of all of our
departments and has created a central "memory" for all of our work.
Using collaborative workspaces encourage teams to share information and
build on each others ideas. It also provides transparency and
accountability when teams are in many different locations.
* E-mail communication guidelines so e-mail doesnt become a time
waster. Unsubscribe to e-mails that offer no value to you. Only CC
those who need the information. Choose specific time blocks to read and
answer e-mails so you can have uninterrupted time to think, write, and
give your most strategic work the attention it needs.
* My iPhone and Mac laptop. Couldnt do it without them!
* Conference calls and web conferencing such as SKYPE and iChat.
2. Stay on Course with Project Management Tools and Guidelines:
If your team starts off on the same page with techniques and rules
already in place, they will have a much better shot at success. The
basic tools in your toolbox are even more important when you are on the
road. Every project should include a:
* Project Agreement (scope, boundaries, risk tolerance, constraints)
* Project Plan (schedules, budgets, milestones, risk management,
change management)
* Team Communication Plan (status reports, approval process, e-mail
distribution)
* Lessons Learned Records (what worked and did not work about the
project so you can increase your chance of success on future projects).
3. Read the Room Even if You Are Not There
"Reading the room" is an important management skill to have. It
allows you to address and resolve any issues rising between departments
or individuals. Cutting to the chase and repairing communication
breakdowns immediately enables the project to continue on. You can do
this virtually through applications like Instant Messaging (IM).
Emoticons and quick unedited responses can communicate volumes and also
signal when you need to pick up that old fashioned technology - the
phone - or when an in-person meeting is needed.
4. Take A Global View
Beyond thinking about time zones, you need to think even more about
cross-cultural communication. Bridging the cultural training gap, the
PMP certification is one of the few professional certifications that
is recognized around the world. I work on many global teams, and I have
found it gives us all a common ground to operate from.
Here are other issues to consider when working on cross-cultural teams.
* Communication Styles. Different cultures have different
communication protocols. Some cultures are very formal in a work
environment. Tune in to how people address each other in their culture,
and dont automatically assume an informal tone until you have gained
the trust and respect of your team.
* Attitudes Toward Conflict. From confrontation to avoidance and
saving face, know how the different cultures represented on your team
prefer to deal with conflict.
* Approaches to Completing Tasks. Understand if relationships develop
first or over time. This will impact how your team works together.
* Decision-Making Styles. Pay attention to decision-making styles.
From consensus and majority rule to more hierarchical styles,
different cultures are comfortable approaching decisions from their
comfort zone.
* Attitudes Toward Disclosure. Nuances in privacy practices vary
greatly from country to country. Dont make assumptions and conduct
due diligence that goes beyond your own home country.
* Approaches to Knowing. We all process information differently.
Think about how your different team members approach information and
learning. Do they like to see evidence of measurement (cognitive) or
examples of symbolism or transcendence?
You can give your virtual teams an edge with Project Management skills
and the globally recognized PMP certification. Make managing your
business from a laptop your new reality and watch your business grow -
not your expenses. See you on the road.
by Michelle LaBrosse, Chief Cheetah, Cheetah Learning
This is the fifth article on Project Management, The entire series is below.
Project Management Series:
The Project Called Life
Power of Continuity
PM 101
Project Management IV
Success: On the Road or Wherever You Go
About the Author
Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, is an entrepreneurial powerhouse with a penchant
for making success easy, fun and fast. She is the founder of Cheetah
Learning, the author of the Cheetah Success Series, and a prolific
blogger whose mission is to bring Project Management to the masses.
Cheetah Learning is a virtual company with 100 employees, contractors,
and licensees worldwide. To date, more than 30,000 people have become
"Cheetahs" using Cheetah Learnings innovative Project Management
and accelerated learning techniques.
Recently honored by the Project Management Institute (PMI), Cheetah
Learning was named Professional Development Provider of the Year at the
2008 PMI Global Congress. A dynamic keynote speaker and industry
thought leader, Michelle was previously recognized by PMI as one of the
25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the world.
Michelles articles have appeared in over 100 publications and web
sites around the world. Her monthly column, the Know How Network is
carried by over 400 publications, and her monthly newsletter goes out to
more than 50,000 people. Her radio program, Your World Your Way, is a
weekly broadcast that is an inspiring and practical look at how Project
Management fuels success.
She is a graduate of the Harvard Business Schools Owner
President Managers (OPM) program and also holds engineering degrees
from Syracuse University and the University of Dayton.
She lives in Nevada with her family and likes to rejuvenate
in Alaska where you'll often find her kayaking, hiking, and riding
her motorcycle.
The PMP is a registered trademark of the Project Management Institute.
SPECIAL NEWS NOTE:
Cheetah Learning Launches Project Prosperity
Special offer for free PDUs CEU's
Permalink
. -.
Todays Bugler
. -.
Send To a Friend
. -.
Readership Feedback
Enjoy the Bugler and review the
latest Recruiting Blogs.
Contacting Us:
interbiznet
Mill Valley, CA 94941
415.377.2255
colleen@interbiznet.com
Copyright © 2013 interbiznet. All rights reserved.
Materials written by John Sumser © TwoColorHat. All Rights Reserved.
The
Electronic Recruiting News
Sign-up to receive this newsletter in email each day.
The interbiznet Bugler
Sign up and receive a concise, daily briefing on recruiting industry news.
ERN |
Bugler |
Blogs |
Blog Roll |
Advertise |
Archives |
About |
Contact |
Careers |
Candidates |
Listings |
ToolKit |
Companies |
Exec Recruiters |
|
interbiznets
Electronic Recruiting News
FEATURES:
FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS:
- BUGLER
(Sign-up)
Daily Industry News
- ERNIE
(Sign-up)
Industry Article
Quote of the Day
It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
- Ursula K. Le Guin
RECENT ARTICLES:
Success: On the Road
Cost Cutting Measures
Comings & Goings
Social Software
Bill Vick
Work: Best Places
Project Management IV
Comings & Goings
Work?
Jim Stroud
Corporate Memory
Project Management 101
Comings & Goings
Workforce on the Move
Spreading the Wealth
Marketing Bailout Plan
Power of Continuity
Local Geo-Skills
The Project Called Life
HR Comings & Goings
Careers in Recruiting
Recruitment Sector Pay
HR Employment & Wages
Jobs In HR Management
HR Comings & Goings
The Bugler
HR Marketing Report
Veterans Employment
Geezers?
HR Comings & Goings
Industry Analyst
Onrec 2009
Election Day
SocialMedian
HR Comings & Goings
HR Broker
ERE Expo 2
ERE Expo
3 Search Steps
Comings and Goings
Caroo On the Move
Cornell Report II
Cornell Report
Moises Lopez
ERN
ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING:
© 2013 interbiznet.
All Rights Reserved.
Materials written
by John Sumser
© TwoColorHat.
All Rights Reserved.
|