Technology Supporting
Distributed and Virtual Teams
Overview
Paul Collins
Jordan-Webb
(773) 463-2288
[email protected]
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Collaborative Team Activities
(Iterative)
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Ideation
Organization
Analysis
Evaluation
Integration
Exploration
Proposition
Decision
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Conventional Response to the
Need for a Collaborative Decision
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Work harder!
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Establish a new team
Schedule a major 5-day workshop
Re-organize calendar to fit in this meeting
Book 5-day trip
Incur 5 days of travel expenses
Spend more time away from your “real” job
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Conventional Planning Scenario
(Face-To-Face)
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Phase I (face-to-face, synchronous)
– Orientation + Ideation + Organization
– Analysis + Evaluation
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Phase II (face-to-face, synchronous)
– Ideation + Organization
– Analysis + Evaluation
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Phase III (face-to-face, synchronous)
– Integration of Phases I & II + Exploration
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Phase IV (face-to-face, synchronous)
– Exploration + Proposition
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Phase V (face-to-face, synchronous)
– Proposition + Decision + Closure
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Today’s Response to the Need for
a Collaborative Decision
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Work smarter!
– Establish a virtual team
– Schedule 1-day workshop
– Schedule synchronous, distributed meetings to fit
calendar
– Book 1-day trip
– Incur 1 day’s travel expenses
– Spend time at your “real” job and on the project
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Today’s Planning Scenario
(Distributed + Face-To-Face)
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Phase I (distributed, synchronous)
– Orientation + Ideation + Organization
– Analysis + Evaluation
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Phase II (distributed, asynchronous)
– Ideation + Organization
– Analysis + Evaluation
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Phase III (distributed, synchronous)
– Integration of Phases I & II + Exploration
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Phase IV (sub-grouped, distributed, asynchronous)
– Exploration + Proposition
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Phase V (face-to-face, synchronous)
– Proposition + Decision & Closure
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Group Support Technology for
Virtual and Distributed Teams
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Optimal Utilization of People - Your Most Valuable Resource
– Helping Individual Time Management
– Supporting Knowledge Management
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Optimal Utilization of Time - A Non-Renewable Resource
– Reducing Cycle-Time and Expense
– Enhancing the Ability to React to Change
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Support for Collaborative Decision-Making
– Bridging Time & Place Constraints
– Providing Structure & Group Memory
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Better Outcomes
– Asking Better Questions
– Getting Better Answers
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
“Out of the Box” Planning for
Virtual and Distributed Teams
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Context for out-of-the-box planning
– Envisioning or creating group processes that do not exist within our current
frame of reference
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Current State
– Difficult to coordinate individual schedules for face-to-face sessions
– Expensive and time consuming to convene teams for multiple days
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Desired State
– Easy setup for distributed sessions while minimizing face-to-face sessions
– Team collaboration from convenient places at convenient times
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Bridging the Gap
– Enabling facilitators and planners to design new processes that “distribute”
certain activities across time and place boundaries when:
• such activities might not necessarily require a face-to-face interaction
• time constraints make face-to-face interaction impossible
• budgetary constraints make face-to-face interaction impractical
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Virtual Group Technology Support
(Synchronous or Asynchronous, Same or Different Time - Different Place)
Leader
Participants join from a common
workspace or from their
own workspace at a
mutually agreed upon time
or at a time
convenient to their own schedule
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003
Next Steps & Action Items
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We’d like to learn more about your Organization
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Perhaps we can be of assistance
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Please contact Paul Collins at:
– [email protected]
– (773) 463-2288
Jordan-Webb - All Rights Reserved 1991-2003