Compiled and Prepared in perspective of students dealing with project Management

1. COMMUNICATIONS
NEEDS OF GLOBAL AND
VIRTUAL PROJECT
TEAMS
Presented by;
Somashekar S M
Asst Professor, NHCE

2. Introduction
 As organizations change more rapidly, more projects are started with
team members from various parts of the larger organization, from various
organizations, and even various parts of the world.
 These project teams certainly have the advantage of utilizing talent from
a wide pool of resources.
 Project team members often enjoy greater autonomy and stimulation on
these teams.

3. Virtual team
 A virtual team is “a group of persons with a shared objective who fulfil their
roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face.”
 Since this team is not all co-located, the project managers relies even more
on persuasion than usual to accomplish work.
 In contemporary project management, project managers use less onerous
command and control than they might have a few years ago.
 When project team operate in a virtual mode, many of the following
characteristics are present
 Team members are physically dispersed
 Time boundaries are crossed
 Communication technologies are used
 Cultural, organizational, age, gender, and functional diversity is
present

4. Cultural Differences
 Cultural patterns differ in various parts of the world so project team
members need to be more sensitive to how their actions are interpreted.
 Project managers working with global and virtual project teams need to
be especially mindful of the increased need for communications using
methods other than face to face.
 The various methods regarding charter development along with
stakeholder analysis and communications planning are even more critical
on virtual and global teams.
 The more unusual a team is, the more critical charters and
communications vehicles become.

5. Contd………………..
 The following table lists some of the extra communications
challenges posed by virtual and global project teams.

6. Countriesand Project Communication
Preferences
 It is helpful if the project team members can meet each other face to
face even one time. While this can be very expensive, it may be much
less expensive than not performing well on the project.
 Sometimes, the core project team is assembled to write and approve
the project charter.
 The core team members then know each other and are inclined to
give each other the benefit of doubt if there is a misunderstanding.
 Another method there is frequently used is to confirm meetings and
calls with quick meeting minutes or email follow-ups.
 By documenting decisions, it is easier to remember what happened
to uncover lessons learned when the project is complete.
 While abundant differences occur between people from various
countries, the method and timing of project communications are of
interest here.

7. Countriesand Project Communication
Preferences
COUNTRIES AND PROJECT COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES
COUNTRY GROUP PREFERENCES
1. Japan, Taiwan, and Brazil 1. Face-to-face, analytical at milestones
2. Hungary and India 2. Written status reports, fixed intervals
3. The Netherlands and Germany 3. Detailed progress reports, fixed
intervals
4. Australia, United States, Canada, New
Zealand, United Kingdom
4. Continuous phone updates, with
written backup

8. Communication Technologies
 One of the most exciting and rapidly changing aspects of project
management work is communication technologies.
 In 1970’s people who worked on projects used carbon copies
extensively, careful printing was practiced so as to not mistake.
 In the late 1980s, on one of the first multibillion-dollar bank
acquisition projects, the project team was afforded a fax machine for
their “war room” .
 In the 1990s, databases, email, and other electronic means of storing
data and communicating become more widespread.

9. CurrentTechnologyTypes
 A project manager need to determine communication technology which can
able to ease communication between team members and stakeholders.
 They need to able to work creatively together, have access to project
documentation, and yet protect confidentiality and version control.
 When project team has team members and other stakeholders from
multiple organizations, they need to ensure that the communications systems
are compatible and easier.
 Instead of opting for current technology one need to select the technology
will help get the job done.
 Reliable communications technologies that enable effective information
sharing are essential.
 A project with multiple geographically dispersed, technologically savvy
team members working on complex, interdependent tasks that require rapid
decision making might require different communications technologies than a
co-located project team working on a simple routine project.

10. Different Communication Technologies
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES USED BY PROEJCTS
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY EXAMPLES
Automated workflow Automator
Blog Twitter
Bulletin board
Calendaring system Windows live calendar, Google calendar
Database Oracle
Desktop videoconference
Electronic blackboard
Email Gmail, Hotmail
Fax
Forums http://www.pmforum.org
Groupware Lotus notes, Microsoft exchange
Instant messaging MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, Google talk
Internet
Intranet
Shared database Sharepoint
Shared document repository
Shared white board
Social network Linkedin, Qzone, Friendster, Orkut, VK, Badoo
Telephone/Teleconference
Voice mail
Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) Skype, Vonage
Web based project management software MS Project server, Primavera, Copper Project, room