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Missy Daffron

Journal #3

I enjoyed reading chapter 9 & 10 this week and felt that it opened my eyes to some opportunities that could enhance my desire to work in teams. One of the readings that truly inspired me were the TIPS FOR MANAGING VIRTUAL TEAMS.

Source: L. Gratton, “Working Together… When Apart,” Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2012, accessed May 8, 2015. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118165895540732559.

1. Invest in an online resource where members can learn quickly about one another.

2. Choose a few team members who already know each other.

3. Break the team’s work up into modules so that progress in one location is not overly dependent on progress in another.

4. Create an online site where a team can collaborate, exchange ideas, and inspire one another.

5. Encourage frequent communication, but don’t try to force social gatherings.

6. Assign only tasks that are challenging and interesting.

7. Ensure the task is meaningful to the team and the company.

8When building a virtual team, solicit volunteers as much as possible.

I am guilty of not being a fan of teams. I am not opposed to a small 2 person team and feel that I thrive in this set up but bringing on more team members is not my strength. I find myself on teams with numerous members and get frustrated with how much time we have to set aside for meeting and conferences. I hate this feeling and of being unproductive. The tips listed are very exciting to me and I feel they will be very beneficial in my daily work. I am excited to introduce some of the ideas especially an online site where our team can collaborate, exchange ideas and inspire one another. I am also happy to see that the TIPS suggest that the task is meaningful. This is important to me because I despise busy work. I am not saying I don’t want to do it I just find these types of tasks on teams slow us down.

Incorporating the Tips for managing virtual teams will be a great benefit.