Managing Employees in Today’s Virtual World

December 19, 2006; 12:47 AM

Millions of Americans do it every workday—head to their home office instead of their car to start their day. While the benefits of telecommuting or working from remote locations are numerous, so are the pitfalls. Especially for the manager who faces the daunting task of building a cohesive team of employees when not everyone is on-site. Balancing deadlines, projects and employees’ personalities can be a juggling act when workers actually show up at the office each day. Add ‘virtual’ workers to the mix and that juggling act can end in a resounding crash if a manager isn’t prepared to overcome the many obstacles of being a ‘virtual’ manager. So how can a manager successfully lead a team of workers who might never meet face to face? 

The secret lies in understanding the dynamics of building and leading a virtual team.  Successful virtual managers realize that they can’t just cut and paste the skill set for ‘traditional management’ to lead a virtual team according to international project manager and author of Managing Without Walls (MCPress, 2006), Colleen Garton. 

“Today many virtual and outsourced projects are failing due to managers’ lack of expertise in virtual management,” says Garton. “The successful virtual manager has developed the knowledge and expertise needed to overcome the unique challenges of working together while the team is physically apart.”

The telecommuting trend shows no signs of slowing. The International Telework Association and Council in Washington estimates that 20 million Americans now telecommute. That’s why it is increasingly crucial for managers to develop and polish their virtual leadership skills. Garton draws a clear and concise picture of the tools virtual managers need to successfully lead their team. Garton also outlines the challenges posed by a virtual team; where personality clashes and office politics can still take a detrimental toll. 

“A virtual manager must learn how to recognize, manage, and control virtual politics and virtual conflict,” says Garton. “Managers need to understand how virtual communication differs from traditional communication and how to effectively communicate to build a team.”

Managing Without Walls , available at www.amazon.com and www.mc-store.com  (link directly to book: http://www.mc-store.com/5081.html), also provides keen insight to improve communication when a team includes workers who live in another time zone, or overseas. Garton demonstrates the importance of understanding the subtext of a conversation and how cultural differences can dictate an employee’s behavior. Equally important, the book explains how managers can overcome the problem of missing out on non-verbal cues which is a cumbersome barrier to effective communication. Using a variety of business scenarios and easy-to-read charts, Garton is straightforward and direct in delivering the salient points of successful virtual management.

In a highly competitive and always changing world market, Garton’s goal is to prepare readers for the challenges of virtual management. “Whether a team has 1, 20, or 200 virtual workers, traditional methods of management fall short in the virtual world,” says Garton. “Unless managers can adapt quickly to this new business model by making changes to the way they manage and communicate, they will not be successful.  Managing Without Walls shows them how to develop the tools for success.”

About The Author:

Colleen Garton has over 20 years experience in traditional and virtual management in the financial, technology, analytics, and multimedia industries. She has an educational background in electronic/electrical engineering and business management. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, she has extensive experience in project management, product management, consulting and engineering in both the U.K. and the United States. In addition to holding senior management positions for major U.S. companies, she has also owned and operated her own management and technical consulting firms. She is an experienced virtual manager who has successfully led international teams of virtual workers on large, complex, multi-million dollar projects in very diverse market spaces.

Ms. Garton has formal training and project experience in quality management processes such as Six Sigma and CMMI. She is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Toastmasters International, American Mensa, and The Authors Guild. Ms. Garton lives in California with her family.