web worker daily has some fantastic tips for starting a virtual project team (or as they say, a remote team).

while it is a short piece it includes some very smart tips!!! they talk about preparation a lot! deciding on a tool to use (basecamp, mindmapping, etc), making sure both the client and team members know how to use the tool, buying webcams & getting everyone setup and comfortable with them, plus making sure everyone is on IM. this is something i feel isn’t done enough. how often do we say ‘oh yeah, we have email. that will work’ and that’s the extent of the planning. in my thesis research, barely anyone used progressive technology such as blogging, wikis, mindmapping, etc. the bulk of communication was via phone and email.

they also mention being alert to people’s different communication styles – some people will love the video cam while others will hate IM (those that type slow might not be the biggest IM fan, especially when paired with someone who does type fast!) – and setting expectations around when communication will occur.

i think these are all very important tips. frequently not enough time is allocated to get people up to speed on their required toolkit and it will negatively impact the group. taking these early steps, making mistakes together (oops, i guess i do have to plug in the camera’s usb!) will assist in fostering trust amongst the group.

business week has several articles about working virtually (as part of their special report: virtual life) the virtual meeting room touches on companies who let their employees and partners meet as avatars in virtual worlds. companies like qwaq provide second life style avatars & spaces where you can share documents while getting the visual aspects virtual teams are missing out on (the bulk of the way we communicate) . (disclaimer: i haven’t tried qwaq) this is an exciting new area i will probably get addicted to.

fyi, biz week also has some screen shots of leo burnett’s SL area and how it’s being used in house with players in 3d collaboration such as qwaq & tixeo.

research on telecommuting is out by a swedish company who relocated offices and allowed people to telecommute for 3 days each week. the company was particularily interested in the work/life balance of its new teleworking employees.

turns out there wasn’t much difference on work/life balance between those telecommuting and those who always worked in the office. BUT they discovered a gender difference. guys who worked at home part of the time reported LESS work/personal life overlap than guys who worked at the office. i wonder if this could be contributed to less ‘social’ activities since they were out of the office (ie no pressure to have a beer after work by co-workers). women who telecommuted reported MORE work/personal life overlap (insert women multi task better joke here). article (subscription needed) and summary

cite:
Hartig, T. Kylin, C. & Johansson, G. (2007). The telework tradeoff: Stress mitigation vs. constrained restoration. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 56, 231-253.