Collaboration in the
Distributed Workplace
Tools, Techniques and Best Practices
Overview
About the author
Some history
What makes a team
Benefits of Co-location
Challenges for distributed teams
Tools for collaboration
Special challenges
Examples








2
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
About the Author
www.dchung.com
www.dis-oriented.com
3
www.sushipilgrim.com
www.hawkeyegop.com
www.abikelife.com
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Some history
LARS – Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing
Purdue University, Department of Electrical Engineering
Pre-Web
Pre-Internet
Chat like facility





4
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
What makes a team?
“What do we mean by the term 'team'? I use the term to refer
to any work situation in which a number of people are organized
around a common set of objectives. So it can be large or small,
temporary or permanent, fixed or fluid, project-based or
functional - it depends on the objectives and how broad theses
are in the context of the organization. In some organizations,
teamwork is a cure for bureaucracy - the team membership cuts
across the normal structures. In some organizations most of the
work is done on a project-by-project basis in teams whose
membership composition changes depending on the task. Teambased problem solving is also more common as organizations
become more complex.”
Ben Fletcher, University of Hertfordshire
5
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Some Benefits of Co-location
White board sharing
Informal status updates
Access to expertise
Socializing
Tribal knowledge





6
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
White Board Sharing
Collaborative brainstorming
Colleagues bouncing ideas off of one another
Usually involves a white board
Could be done on a bar napkin as well 




7
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Informal Status Updates
… come see something cool
Mac Fanboy
Colleagues are more likely to share accomplishments



8
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Access to Expertise
Simple to walk into an expert’s cube
This include knowing who are the experts



sSounds like a
null pointer to
me!
9
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Socializing


Social connections are important to team building
Socially connected teams make better professional teams
10
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Tribal Knowledge



Collective knowledge of the group
Not cataloged or recorded
Knowing ‘who knows’
11
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Challenge for Distributed Teams



Minimize the difficulties caused by distribution
Maintain best aspects of team
Leverage advantages of distribution
12
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
White Board Sharing





WebEx
NetMeeting
Skrbl
Dabbleboard
Groupboard
13
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Informal Status Updates






Microblogging
Twitter
Facebook
Linked
Google+
Irc
14
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Access to Expertise





Email
Facebook Chat
Instant Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger
Skype
15
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Socializing




Forums
Facebook
Linkedin
Majordomo
16
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Tribal Knowledge





Wikis
FAQs
Forums
Shared file systems
Newsgroups
17
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Special Problems






Generational issues
Clustering
Email and texting
Proximity
Security
IT Support
18
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Generational Issues

Older generation




Likes personal contact
Open doors
Telephone
Younger generation




19
Electronic communication
Text
Chat
Email
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Clusters



Groups of team members at multiple locations
Take advantage of local co-location
Use tools and best practices to connect across sites
20
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Email and texting





It is difficult to read between the lines in an email
Sometimes it is a good idea to pause before hitting send
In face to face communications, we adjust our speech
based on listener feedback
Watch cc and bcc lists
Email leaves a virtual paper trail
21
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Proximity

Employees who are closer to: the boss, headquarters, the
customer, etc. have an advantage



Easier access to information
More informal interaction
Leaders (and members) of distributed teams must make
sure that information flows out to the whole team
22
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Online Training




Difficult to get feedback
No visual clues
Must explicitly solicit interaction
Use the tools!




23
Surveys
Chat
Raised hands
Clapping
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Security




HIPAA, ITAR, etc.
Some solutions are designed to be globally available and
security is an afterthought (Wiki)
Many solutions are hosted outside the company firewall
Encryption
24
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
IT Support




May require drilling through or creating firewall
exceptions
Could involve hosting services in or on the corporate
network
Hosting a service can help solve some security issues but
brings up funding/resource issues
It is important to involve IT from the begininng
25
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Examples



Communities of Practice
Online Gaming
Virtual Choir
26
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Communities of Practice




Java CoP
Main group meets in Cedar Rapids
Individuals attend from their desktop
Clusters in;






Richardson, Texas
Poway, Ca
Duluth, Ga
Toulouse, Fr
Leadership chosen across sites
Leaders represent multiple business units
27
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace
Online Gaming





MUDS
World of Warcraft
Sims
Gears of War
Farmville
28
Collaboration in the Distributed Workplace