you can always rely on a list apart for great articles. this time the long hallway – which is defined as ‘the distance between the physical working spaces of the individuals that comprise virtual companies’.

in the past (and very much the present), lots of virtual teams comprised of a hub of individuals in one location (like a head office) with a smattering of individuals in different offices or telecommuting. the long hallway is about companies who are more virtual than physical and have turned our HQ reality on it’s head. the internet, wireless connectivity & the focus on collaboration & productivity of ‘web2.0′ have made it a lot easier for organisations not to have a headquarters.

from a virtual working perspective, this is very exciting. when there’s no hub, no head office, no concentration of people in one singular office, EVERYONE has to think about communication. it’s those little conversations we have in offices that get things moving, that solve problems and if you can’t bump into someone on the way out the door to lunch or chat with them about project A while you’re waiting for a meeting concerning project B to begin, you begin to think about how you can recreate that online. When virtual teams are a mix of HQ & satellite folks, this situation doesn’t get the same front of mind priority.

the article also touches on process, how important scheduled play is, writing skills & setting boundaries (time zones folks!).