This week the conversation turns towards the challenges that teleworkers and dispersed team leaders and members routinely face. As you are forming your own project team, you are probably experiencing many of them. Be patient, for they are normal, and can be overcome.
Core issues surround structuring the team, selecting or developing team members with the appropriate "telework" qualities, building trust, establishing "person-to-person" communication and work relationships, and becoming comfortable with the sense or feeling of being isolated.
This week online handouts explores team structure and team member qualities, as well as the notion of social presence and isolation. In the blog we will examine building trust, particularly "swift trust" and "telepresence", the notion of being present without being tied to a physical location.
Traditionally, trust takes time to establish, and develops after many personal or professional encounters and work projects. But, what about teams that only come together for one project, or a new team that only has a short amount of time to accomplish a complex project?
Trust is "both the specific expectation that another's actions will be beneficial rather than detrimental... and the generalized ability to "take for granted, to take under trust, a vast array of features of the social order" (Creed and Miles, "Trust in Organizations" in Trust in Organizations edited by Kramer and Tyler, 1996, p. 17).
Regarding business enterprises, there are three levels of trust. As Kramer and Tyler (1996) explain in the Introduction to their book, understanding workplace trust involves comprehending the influence of social organizations on patterns of trust, understanding social networks, and being knowledgeable about the psychological basis for trust and mistrust.Trust needs interpersonal relationships, a frequency of "social" contact, and the emotional closeness. because of this organizational boundaries, workplace locales, and connections with work colleagues are significant.
"Temporary groups, at times, develop "swift trust:" ... [S]wift trust in temporary systems is...not so much an interpersonal form as a cognitive and action form. Trust work...[is]...tied to levels of interdependence....[S]wift trust is...when interdependence is kept modest through a combination of distancing, adaptability, resilience, interacting with roles rather than personalities, and viewing one's participation as partly voluntary (trust) and partly involuntary (confidence). In short, swift trust is less about relating than doing....Swift trust is not surrender. But neither is it calculated aloofness. Instead, it is artful making with a modest set of general cues from which inferences are drawn about how people might care for what we entrust to them. Those inferences are driven by generic features of the setting rather than by personalities or interpersonal relations. In this sense, swift trust is a pragmatic strategy for dealing with the uncertainties generated by a complex system concocted to perform a complex, interdependent task using the specialized skills of strangers" Meyerson, Weick, & Kramer, "Swift Trust and Temporary Groups" in Trust in Organizations by Kramer and Tyler, 1996, pp. 191-192).
So, what do you think are practical methods for developing trust among teleworkers and in a virtual team environment? How can managers effectively build trust in a dispersed workplace?
The next blog will be on telepresence and working in a dispersed workplace.
Chuck Piazza
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Week 4: Dispersed Workplaces as Information Ecologies.
The conversation continues...
Besides being a virtual site with a vast amount of information, there are many different, yet related conversations--dynamic interactions--taking place. The conversations about telework, virtual teams, knowledge sharing, collaborating, and dispersed organizations continue, and are occurring in many places--discussion forum/water cooler, journal entries, emails, and here on the course blog.
In the discussion forum the information shared ranges from sharing about personal preferences and reflections, workplace experiences and questions, and comments, articles and websites. Students are meeting informally around a "cyberspace water cooler." The conversations are ad hoc, and open ended.
On the site as a whole, students are meeting with students--people engaging with people, not just interacting with useful data and text. They are listening to each other and sharing from their point of experience and expertise--responding from their reflection and with their practical wisdom. The course site is becoming an "warm human information place" (not just a "cold technological place"), a interactive knowledge commons rooted in human networks--relationships.
This is important for virtual teams for information--be it information about team members so they can build rapport and trust--or knowledge needed for the completion of the assigned task, must continuously flow through the teams network--communication channels, information systems, and work relationships. The virtual teams culture and structure is a information ecology and a web of knowledge generation and application.
Bonnie Nardi and Vicki O'Day (1999) in Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart describe information ecologies as sociotechnical (people and technology) ways of connecting people, as "a system of people, practices, values, and technologies in a particular local environment. In information ecologies, the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are shared by technology....An information ecology is a complex system of parts and relationships. It exhibits diversity and experiences continual evolution. Different parts of an ecology coevolve, changing together according to the relationships in the system.... Information ecologies have a sense of locality....An information ecology begins with our own efforts to influence the shape and direction of the technologies we use and the settings in which we use them" (p. 49-51, 58).
A key notion in information ecologies as they relate to workplaces with teleworkers and virtual teams is "connections." Central to effectiveness and success is the vibrancy of the connection--ensuring that there is more than just linking and "information pushing and pulling." In today's fast-paced, agile, innovative business environment organizations have to be a web of individual and team "conversations and relationships" that share knowledge, make decisions, and act. It is people meeting with and engaging with people. Checkout Sun Microsystems current view of the workplace--the Open Workplace.
So, how are dispersed workplaces and virtual teams information ecologies? How do individuals, teams and technology form one "informing and collaborating system"? What are some of the specific characteristics of this ecology?
What do you think, and why?
Chuck Piazza
Besides being a virtual site with a vast amount of information, there are many different, yet related conversations--dynamic interactions--taking place. The conversations about telework, virtual teams, knowledge sharing, collaborating, and dispersed organizations continue, and are occurring in many places--discussion forum/water cooler, journal entries, emails, and here on the course blog.
In the discussion forum the information shared ranges from sharing about personal preferences and reflections, workplace experiences and questions, and comments, articles and websites. Students are meeting informally around a "cyberspace water cooler." The conversations are ad hoc, and open ended.
On the site as a whole, students are meeting with students--people engaging with people, not just interacting with useful data and text. They are listening to each other and sharing from their point of experience and expertise--responding from their reflection and with their practical wisdom. The course site is becoming an "warm human information place" (not just a "cold technological place"), a interactive knowledge commons rooted in human networks--relationships.
This is important for virtual teams for information--be it information about team members so they can build rapport and trust--or knowledge needed for the completion of the assigned task, must continuously flow through the teams network--communication channels, information systems, and work relationships. The virtual teams culture and structure is a information ecology and a web of knowledge generation and application.
Bonnie Nardi and Vicki O'Day (1999) in Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart describe information ecologies as sociotechnical (people and technology) ways of connecting people, as "a system of people, practices, values, and technologies in a particular local environment. In information ecologies, the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are shared by technology....An information ecology is a complex system of parts and relationships. It exhibits diversity and experiences continual evolution. Different parts of an ecology coevolve, changing together according to the relationships in the system.... Information ecologies have a sense of locality....An information ecology begins with our own efforts to influence the shape and direction of the technologies we use and the settings in which we use them" (p. 49-51, 58).
A key notion in information ecologies as they relate to workplaces with teleworkers and virtual teams is "connections." Central to effectiveness and success is the vibrancy of the connection--ensuring that there is more than just linking and "information pushing and pulling." In today's fast-paced, agile, innovative business environment organizations have to be a web of individual and team "conversations and relationships" that share knowledge, make decisions, and act. It is people meeting with and engaging with people. Checkout Sun Microsystems current view of the workplace--the Open Workplace.
So, how are dispersed workplaces and virtual teams information ecologies? How do individuals, teams and technology form one "informing and collaborating system"? What are some of the specific characteristics of this ecology?
What do you think, and why?
Chuck Piazza
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Week 3: Beginning to Build Social Capital In a Dispersed Environment
Well, we are now moving along in learning about dispersed team dynamics and the challenges they pose. Getting started has its issues, particularly getting all telework or team members acclimated, use to the methods of communication, and the "networking" and collaboration methods. be patient with yourself and the process because it is normal, and takes some time. Once you get use to it, and accustomed to this "particular learning and working environment" you will work more quickly.
An important component is to explore and experiment. "Journey" through the site, try out the different features, and click on links. For this course learning site the "orientation" section (The Course Landscape ) provides an overview and key information. The "weekly session" sections are your "hub" with the "weekly synopsis" providing that weeks material, learning assignments, and links to discussions.
OK, now on to some important ideas...
The first key task of a distance manager or virtual team leader is to develop a sense of presence and rapport among the workers or team members, as well as develop a viable community. This takes time. While it may feel not relevant, if the "familiarity" among members does not emerge, it is much harder to develop the respect, trust, and credibility needed to openly engage in honest dialogue, creative decision-making, risk-taking, and close collaboration.
So we will spend time getting to know each other. The General Open Dialogue Forum/Water Cooler section, thus, is very important. We are a course spread out around the world with 8-9 hours difference between time zones. Plus, the educational institutions have complementary, yet differing, instructional and learning methods.
Central to this course is open discussion, critical analysis and knowledge sharing among all course members, as well as group learning and collaboration on a team project. This course is not merely about individuals meeting their academic and professional goals, but about all members being successful. So the discussion and blog forums are key. I'll work with you to develop effective team project communication systems that will include others methods.
Cohen and Prusak (2001) in In Good Company: How Social Capital Makes Organizations Work state:
"Most of us know from experience that trusted colleagues help us to accomplish our work....Most of us know that the experience of working in isolation for any length of time can be lonely and dispiriting. We know too that we are more likely to give energy, talent, and loyalty to an organization if those around us are helpful and honest as opposed to uncooperative and devious, and if leadership of the organization takes a fair and equitable approach to the people who work for it. We know we do better work if we get a chance to know our coworkers rather than continually adjust to a changing roster of team members."
These authors further share that social capital is "the norms and social relations embedded in social structures that enable people to coordinate action to achieve desired goals....[It]...refers to features of social organizations such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit....Social capital consists of the stock of active connections among people: the trust, mutual understanding, and shared values and behaviors that bind the members of human networks and communities and make cooperative action possible."
Most organizations have virtual components. We conduct business and work in a dispersed workplace. This is the norm. So how can this be accomplished in our dispersed and technological work environment? How can "satisfying" and "productive" work be accomplished where people who have to collaborate do not see each other, and often feel like they are working "alone"? How can rapport and team spirit be established and maintained?
These are not easy questions, and there are not ready answers. But it is a challenge that we have to accept and face, because we have already developed an economy and business structure based upon a globalized strategy.
Professionals and scholars have been grappling with this issue for awhile, and virtual teams are working, and becoming more successful. But why? Are people changing? Is technology getting better? Is the organizational structure shifting, and the workforce adapting? Is the nature of teams evolving? So, join the dialogue.
What do you think? How does this take place in your work environment?
Chuck Piazza
PS: The next post will be Information Sharing and Managing Knowledge in a Dispersed Workplace
An important component is to explore and experiment. "Journey" through the site, try out the different features, and click on links. For this course learning site the "orientation" section (The Course Landscape ) provides an overview and key information. The "weekly session" sections are your "hub" with the "weekly synopsis" providing that weeks material, learning assignments, and links to discussions.
OK, now on to some important ideas...
The first key task of a distance manager or virtual team leader is to develop a sense of presence and rapport among the workers or team members, as well as develop a viable community. This takes time. While it may feel not relevant, if the "familiarity" among members does not emerge, it is much harder to develop the respect, trust, and credibility needed to openly engage in honest dialogue, creative decision-making, risk-taking, and close collaboration.
So we will spend time getting to know each other. The General Open Dialogue Forum/Water Cooler section, thus, is very important. We are a course spread out around the world with 8-9 hours difference between time zones. Plus, the educational institutions have complementary, yet differing, instructional and learning methods.
Central to this course is open discussion, critical analysis and knowledge sharing among all course members, as well as group learning and collaboration on a team project. This course is not merely about individuals meeting their academic and professional goals, but about all members being successful. So the discussion and blog forums are key. I'll work with you to develop effective team project communication systems that will include others methods.
Cohen and Prusak (2001) in In Good Company: How Social Capital Makes Organizations Work state:
"Most of us know from experience that trusted colleagues help us to accomplish our work....Most of us know that the experience of working in isolation for any length of time can be lonely and dispiriting. We know too that we are more likely to give energy, talent, and loyalty to an organization if those around us are helpful and honest as opposed to uncooperative and devious, and if leadership of the organization takes a fair and equitable approach to the people who work for it. We know we do better work if we get a chance to know our coworkers rather than continually adjust to a changing roster of team members."
These authors further share that social capital is "the norms and social relations embedded in social structures that enable people to coordinate action to achieve desired goals....[It]...refers to features of social organizations such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit....Social capital consists of the stock of active connections among people: the trust, mutual understanding, and shared values and behaviors that bind the members of human networks and communities and make cooperative action possible."
Most organizations have virtual components. We conduct business and work in a dispersed workplace. This is the norm. So how can this be accomplished in our dispersed and technological work environment? How can "satisfying" and "productive" work be accomplished where people who have to collaborate do not see each other, and often feel like they are working "alone"? How can rapport and team spirit be established and maintained?
These are not easy questions, and there are not ready answers. But it is a challenge that we have to accept and face, because we have already developed an economy and business structure based upon a globalized strategy.
Professionals and scholars have been grappling with this issue for awhile, and virtual teams are working, and becoming more successful. But why? Are people changing? Is technology getting better? Is the organizational structure shifting, and the workforce adapting? Is the nature of teams evolving? So, join the dialogue.
What do you think? How does this take place in your work environment?
Chuck Piazza
PS: The next post will be Information Sharing and Managing Knowledge in a Dispersed Workplace
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Week 2: Networked Organization and Complexity
We now live and work in a context that functions and strategizes from a global perspective, and solves problems by deploying technological solutions. We live and work in a digital sociotechnical world with inter-cultural relationships. With globalization as a core business strategy and information and communication technology a mainstay of the workplace, organizations have become dispersed and the workforce global. In such an environment, conscious efforts to include social capital features is critical.
"It is not uncommon for participants in many firms to find themselves trading ideas about breakthrough projects with "co-workers" who may be ten thousand miles away, while at other times they may be working with individuals who are situated near to them physically, but are not conventional employees of the same company....Given the changes in where individuals work, combined with the multiplicity of those with whom they work,it is not surprising to find that the boundaries of the organization have become more ephemeral.Consequently, one might expect individuals in contemporary organizational environments to focus less on themselves as employees of a traditional organization and more on themselves as part of, and contributing, to, an entity far larger than the parent organization that employs them...[T]his larger entity, composed of federations of individuals and organizations, can be termed a "virtual organization" because in effect it is an organization, albeit not in the traditional sense...Virtual organizations arise from collaborations, federations, and associations, contracts, and alliance relationships....[T]here appear to be five precipitating factors that lead organizations to engage in these types of relationships: outsourcing, expansion, protection, augmentation, and distribution....[T]hese relationships and their motivations are not unique,...what makes virtual organizations worthy of examination is the fact that it is clear that both the quantity and complexity of the relationships with co-called partners have increased significantly."
(D. B. Greenberger and S. Wang, "The Virtual Organization" in Human Resource Management in Virtual Organizations, ed. by R. L. Heneman and D. B Greenberger, 2002)
Information must continuously flow through these organization. Knowledge networks and communities of practice must enable innovative decision-making and problem-solving. Dispereded team memebers must function as a unit--sharing and applying knowledge, as well as collaborating--as if they were co-located. How can this be done effectively?
Some use the term "virtual organization," others more correctly use the term "dispersed organization." Throughout this course we will usually use the latter terminology.
This course mirrors the dispersed organization and virtual workplace, with all of its benefits and challenges. It provides you an opportunity to experience and critically reflect upon the nature and dynamics of telework and virtual teams, as well as try to solve some of the challenges it poses.
For some of you working in a dispersed manner is familiar, maybe even "old hat," because you own own work arrangement is set up in a manner to work with colleagues and clients via electronic information and communications systems. They are located, or dispersed, across the country, or around the world. You may never see them face-to-face (f2f), or only on special occasions when it is warranted.For others this will be a new and challenging experience. This will involve a learning curve that can be a bit "frustrating" at times. The "virtual workplace" is a "cool environment" where team members at times feel isolated and alone, and can become anxious because they cannot "see" their teammates. Then there are technology glitches.
Remember that I am here to coach you through both learning the academic content, and developing skills in working in a virtual team environment.
Also, since this is course is about teamwork and peer collaboration, it will be important for those who are familiar with this work style to assist others.I encourage you to reflect upon your experiences in this course, and distill out the insights that will enable you to effectively work in a virtual or dispersed team situation, and aid others to do so as well. I also invite you to work collaboratively, with each team, not only focusing on the success of their project, but the success of the entire course. Thus, I invite you to collaborate "across" team boundaries, assisting each other to successfully function in a virtual learning environment.
OK, that is all for now. I'll post more later on managing knowledge.
Again, welcome aboard, and good luck in this course.
Chuck Piazza
Instructor
"It is not uncommon for participants in many firms to find themselves trading ideas about breakthrough projects with "co-workers" who may be ten thousand miles away, while at other times they may be working with individuals who are situated near to them physically, but are not conventional employees of the same company....Given the changes in where individuals work, combined with the multiplicity of those with whom they work,it is not surprising to find that the boundaries of the organization have become more ephemeral.Consequently, one might expect individuals in contemporary organizational environments to focus less on themselves as employees of a traditional organization and more on themselves as part of, and contributing, to, an entity far larger than the parent organization that employs them...[T]his larger entity, composed of federations of individuals and organizations, can be termed a "virtual organization" because in effect it is an organization, albeit not in the traditional sense...Virtual organizations arise from collaborations, federations, and associations, contracts, and alliance relationships....[T]here appear to be five precipitating factors that lead organizations to engage in these types of relationships: outsourcing, expansion, protection, augmentation, and distribution....[T]hese relationships and their motivations are not unique,...what makes virtual organizations worthy of examination is the fact that it is clear that both the quantity and complexity of the relationships with co-called partners have increased significantly."
(D. B. Greenberger and S. Wang, "The Virtual Organization" in Human Resource Management in Virtual Organizations, ed. by R. L. Heneman and D. B Greenberger, 2002)
Information must continuously flow through these organization. Knowledge networks and communities of practice must enable innovative decision-making and problem-solving. Dispereded team memebers must function as a unit--sharing and applying knowledge, as well as collaborating--as if they were co-located. How can this be done effectively?
Some use the term "virtual organization," others more correctly use the term "dispersed organization." Throughout this course we will usually use the latter terminology.
This course mirrors the dispersed organization and virtual workplace, with all of its benefits and challenges. It provides you an opportunity to experience and critically reflect upon the nature and dynamics of telework and virtual teams, as well as try to solve some of the challenges it poses.
For some of you working in a dispersed manner is familiar, maybe even "old hat," because you own own work arrangement is set up in a manner to work with colleagues and clients via electronic information and communications systems. They are located, or dispersed, across the country, or around the world. You may never see them face-to-face (f2f), or only on special occasions when it is warranted.For others this will be a new and challenging experience. This will involve a learning curve that can be a bit "frustrating" at times. The "virtual workplace" is a "cool environment" where team members at times feel isolated and alone, and can become anxious because they cannot "see" their teammates. Then there are technology glitches.
Remember that I am here to coach you through both learning the academic content, and developing skills in working in a virtual team environment.
Also, since this is course is about teamwork and peer collaboration, it will be important for those who are familiar with this work style to assist others.I encourage you to reflect upon your experiences in this course, and distill out the insights that will enable you to effectively work in a virtual or dispersed team situation, and aid others to do so as well. I also invite you to work collaboratively, with each team, not only focusing on the success of their project, but the success of the entire course. Thus, I invite you to collaborate "across" team boundaries, assisting each other to successfully function in a virtual learning environment.
OK, that is all for now. I'll post more later on managing knowledge.
Again, welcome aboard, and good luck in this course.
Chuck Piazza
Instructor
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Week 1: Some Tips on Working in a Dispersed or Virtual Environment
Hello, all.
This course in dispersed and virtural teams is off to a fine start. It seems that there is a great sense of enthusiasm, leadership, adaptability, creativity, and a fine sense of responsibility. These are all key to successful virtual team operations. Congrats!
For some the virtual workplace will be new, while others of you currently work in some form of virtual, or hybrid work environment. That will help the course run more smoothly. It is important for those of you experienced with virtual teams to share your insights with, as well as assist, those who do not have this background.
With this in mind, I want to share a few practical tips about working in a virtual team environment.
1. A critical skill is self-management. One has to take the responsibility, and be disciplined enough to set out to understand the primary task and deliverable, develop a project plan with its various activities and action steps, and manage one's own time. As delve into the text, you will see that this is a pivotal team member skill. It is a given.
2. In virtual environments there is a feeling of distance and isolation. It is difficult to "sense or feel" team mates. This is particularly difficult when the pressure is high, or a problem arises. Team members, as well as the project lead, need to know when to "inject high-touch" components or moments of high social capital--phone calls, video conferences, face-to-face meetings, etc. Project team leaders are always monitoring individuals and the team environment, assisting team members to have a clear group identity, feeling of belonging to a work community, and sense of contributing and feeling valued. The project manager also enables the team to chart and understand the progress it is making.
3. This characteristics is coupled with leadership. Everyone must feel a sense of accountability, and be willing to take various types of leadership roles as needed. One cannot wait for the project leader, or program manager to send directives, ask questions, provide resources, etc. If one needs something, has a question, discovers a way to solve a problem or do something better, or sees an issue that needs to be addressed, one must speak up and/or act. It is a united, creative, team effort.
4. Virtual environments by nature are characterized by ambiguity, uncertainty, and interpretation, as well as flexibility and spontaneity. There is an element of confusion at times. It is just a natural quality of working in a dynamic and complex global workplace.One, with the help of teammates, needs to discern the task and issues at hand, and proceed. One has to take ownership of the job, and risk interpreting what is being required, and what needs to be done. A quality, appropriate final product, or deliverable, is what is important. How you get there is often up to the team.
5. Experimentation and glitches are also aspects of the dispersed technological workplace. This means that one is often devising approaches, testing ideas, and problem-solving. Ideas and processes may or may not work. It is important to be welling to "risk trying something new and different," than sticking with the "tried and true" that does not fit the situation. Key leadership attributes is foster and reward experimenattion, and learn from failures.Team members need to be comfortable with the "technological or computer world view." One has to be willing to experiement with technology, figure out how it works by one's self, and discern how to effectively use it. Then, there is the "frailty" of the technology and the information and communication systems that are deployed to make dispersed teams possible. At times it is hard to decipher how to use it, or it "breaks down." Patience is needed to ward off the frustartion and anxiety that can easily emerge in the virtual environment.
Lastly, keep in mind the emerging concept of "mass collaboration." You are broken into teams, but its does not mean that you cannot aid each other to be successful. The ultimate course goal is that all learn. Different groups will develop different collaboration and communication techniques. When a group runs into a problem, it does not mean that you cannot ask other groups for insight in resolving it. Don't forget work colleagues, Internet resources, etc. Find the knowledge you need to complete the task in a high quality manner.
As Tapsoctt and Williams state in Wikinomics "Winning companies today have open and porous boundaries and compete by reaching outside their walls to harness external knowledge, resources and capabilities....[T]his adds up to a new kind of collaborative enterprise--an ecosystem of peers that is constantly shaping and reshaping clusters of knowledge and capability to compete on a gloabl basis" (p. 290).
OK, that is all for now.
Chuck Piazza
This course in dispersed and virtural teams is off to a fine start. It seems that there is a great sense of enthusiasm, leadership, adaptability, creativity, and a fine sense of responsibility. These are all key to successful virtual team operations. Congrats!
For some the virtual workplace will be new, while others of you currently work in some form of virtual, or hybrid work environment. That will help the course run more smoothly. It is important for those of you experienced with virtual teams to share your insights with, as well as assist, those who do not have this background.
With this in mind, I want to share a few practical tips about working in a virtual team environment.
1. A critical skill is self-management. One has to take the responsibility, and be disciplined enough to set out to understand the primary task and deliverable, develop a project plan with its various activities and action steps, and manage one's own time. As delve into the text, you will see that this is a pivotal team member skill. It is a given.
2. In virtual environments there is a feeling of distance and isolation. It is difficult to "sense or feel" team mates. This is particularly difficult when the pressure is high, or a problem arises. Team members, as well as the project lead, need to know when to "inject high-touch" components or moments of high social capital--phone calls, video conferences, face-to-face meetings, etc. Project team leaders are always monitoring individuals and the team environment, assisting team members to have a clear group identity, feeling of belonging to a work community, and sense of contributing and feeling valued. The project manager also enables the team to chart and understand the progress it is making.
3. This characteristics is coupled with leadership. Everyone must feel a sense of accountability, and be willing to take various types of leadership roles as needed. One cannot wait for the project leader, or program manager to send directives, ask questions, provide resources, etc. If one needs something, has a question, discovers a way to solve a problem or do something better, or sees an issue that needs to be addressed, one must speak up and/or act. It is a united, creative, team effort.
4. Virtual environments by nature are characterized by ambiguity, uncertainty, and interpretation, as well as flexibility and spontaneity. There is an element of confusion at times. It is just a natural quality of working in a dynamic and complex global workplace.One, with the help of teammates, needs to discern the task and issues at hand, and proceed. One has to take ownership of the job, and risk interpreting what is being required, and what needs to be done. A quality, appropriate final product, or deliverable, is what is important. How you get there is often up to the team.
5. Experimentation and glitches are also aspects of the dispersed technological workplace. This means that one is often devising approaches, testing ideas, and problem-solving. Ideas and processes may or may not work. It is important to be welling to "risk trying something new and different," than sticking with the "tried and true" that does not fit the situation. Key leadership attributes is foster and reward experimenattion, and learn from failures.Team members need to be comfortable with the "technological or computer world view." One has to be willing to experiement with technology, figure out how it works by one's self, and discern how to effectively use it. Then, there is the "frailty" of the technology and the information and communication systems that are deployed to make dispersed teams possible. At times it is hard to decipher how to use it, or it "breaks down." Patience is needed to ward off the frustartion and anxiety that can easily emerge in the virtual environment.
Lastly, keep in mind the emerging concept of "mass collaboration." You are broken into teams, but its does not mean that you cannot aid each other to be successful. The ultimate course goal is that all learn. Different groups will develop different collaboration and communication techniques. When a group runs into a problem, it does not mean that you cannot ask other groups for insight in resolving it. Don't forget work colleagues, Internet resources, etc. Find the knowledge you need to complete the task in a high quality manner.
As Tapsoctt and Williams state in Wikinomics "Winning companies today have open and porous boundaries and compete by reaching outside their walls to harness external knowledge, resources and capabilities....[T]his adds up to a new kind of collaborative enterprise--an ecosystem of peers that is constantly shaping and reshaping clusters of knowledge and capability to compete on a gloabl basis" (p. 290).
OK, that is all for now.
Chuck Piazza
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