Managing projects with team members in different locations can be a challenge. Cultural and language differences can make it even more challenging.

Here are some practical tips to manage your virtual team.

1. Meet face-to-face at least once, preferably at the beginning of the project
2. Share the calendar (project, personal, vacation and statutory holidays)
3. Create a common file repository and use the same software
4. Schedule a fixed weekly team meeting
5. Accommodate the various time zones when scheduling a meeting
6. Take advantage of the time zones (one team works, another team sleeps)
7. Leverage the technology (e.g., webcam, conference call, instant messaging, etc.)
8. Agree on a code of conduct (e.g., respond within 24 hours)
9. Be aware of the nuances of the English language
10. Have fun by organizing “virtual” social events (e.g., online Bingo)

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Tags: virtual teams

This entry was posted on 14 September 2009 at 17:18 and is filed under Project Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.