Managing Without Walls

Worldwide, companies like yours are rapidly adopting a new business model: the virtual office, where team members use technology to break down geographic boundaries and collaborate on projects from around the globe. New ways of doing business require fresh new approaches to management, and this is particularly true when managing IT resources that may be located almost anywhere...from Baltimore to Bangalore. Managing Without Walls shows managers like you how to leverage the virtual business model for maximum effectiveness. With it, you'll learn special techniques for being successful at managing, coaching, and developing team members in this new and exciting, but challenging, environment.

Many managers try to apply traditional management processes to this new way of doing business, often with limited success. Researchers tell us that 80% of human communication is non-verbal, but this valuable “face time” is lost in a virtual team setting. Therefore, managers must learn to both manage and communicate differently. This book demonstrates why traditional methods fall short in this new paradigm and offers effective alternatives. The authors discuss at length the management and communication issues you’ll face. They then explain how to conquer those issues and share proven methods to handle virtual teams. With this practical advice, aspiring as well as existing virtual managers will acquire the skills and tools they need to be successful in today’s new business reality.

Managing Without Walls shows not only the “how” and “what” but also the “why” of managing virtual teams. You’ll learn tips and solutions that can be applied immediately. Soon you’ll be optimizing the effectiveness of your teams…no matter where they are.

With Managing Without Walls, you will:

• Understand the differences between traditional, hybrid, and virtual teams…and the keys to successfully managing each kind
• Learn the secrets of hiring team members who will thrive in a virtual team setting
• Discover how to design the most effective processes for managing your team
• Acquire the know-how to manage high-risk situations and catastrophic events, even when you’re not there
• Find a comprehensive appendix full of tools to help implement all that you’ve learned

Colleen Garton is a highly respected and experienced writer, consultant, and speaker. Recognized internationally as an expert on virtual and global management, she is the owner of the Garton Consulting Group.

Kevin R. Wegryn is an experienced project manager, consultant, and presenter who leads and works with virtual teams and virtual customers. He currently works as the Project Management Practice Lead and Subject Matter Expert for a major corporation. He is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and an International Association of Project and Program Management (IAPPM) Certified Project Manager (CPM).

More About the Authors:

Colleen Garton
Kevin Wegryn