Thanks to technology and globalization, more and more business teams are working together across state lines and international boundaries.
Many corporations employ dispersed teams, where a manager in New York may communicate daily with colleagues in Boston, Los Angeles, and Singapore.
But even with an array of new Web-based collaboration tools at their disposal, most team leaders find managing remote teams extremely challenging.
The first challenge remote managers face is that their team may be dispersed over many time zones, requiring a healthy travel budget and the flexibility to schedule conference calls or online meetings at odd hours in order to accommodate everyone on the team.
Another challenge is the indisputable fact that not everyone possesses the self-discipline and drive to maintain morale, camaraderie and accountability while working independently.
In addition, many remote employees find it difficult to maintain consistency in communication and work flow.
Finally, the usual day-to-day “chit chat” and small talk that gets such a bad rap–but actually helps build relationships–is markedly missing on many remote teams, unless they make a concerted effort to build it into the work routine.
Read More How to Successfully Manage Your Remote Team
In 1912 a management consultant, Ivy Lee, called on Charles M. Schwab of the Bethlehem Steel Company. Lee outlined briefly his firm’s services, ending with the statement: “With our service, you’ll know how to manage better.”
