Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed

Your Hands–On Guide to Virtual Teams With a CD–ROM Full of Practical Resources

This third edition of the best–selling resource Mastering Virtual Teams offers a toolkit for leaders and members of virtual teams. The revised and expanded edition includes a CD–ROM with useful resources that allow virtual teams to access and use the book′s checklists, assessments, and other practical tools quickly and easily. Deborah L. Duarte and Nancy Tennant Snyder include updated guidelines, strategies, and best practices for working effectively with virtual teams across time and distance to see a project through. The useful tools, exercises, and real–life examples show how anyone can master the unique dynamics of virtual team participation in an environment where the old rules no longer apply.

Checklists ix

Checklists and Tables on the CD–ROM x

Preface xi

The Authors xvii

PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING VIRTUAL TEAMS 1

1 Critical Success Factors for Virtual Teams 3

2 Crossing Technical Boundaries 24

3 Crossing Cultural Boundaries 55

PART TWO: CREATING VIRTUAL TEAMS 73

4 Myths and Realities of Leading Virtual Teams 75

5 Starting a Virtual Team 95

6 Team Member Roles and Competencies 125

7 Building Trust in Virtual Teams 145

PART THREE: MASTERING VIRTUAL TEAMS 163

8 Virtual Team Meetings 165

9 Virtual Team Dynamics 187

10 Working Adaptively 212

Notes 225

Further Reading 231

Index 233

How to Use the Accompanying CD–ROM 249

Deborah L. Duarte is an expert on strategy innovation and leadership. She has consulted with many public and private organizations, including Time Warner AOL, NASA, Freddie Mac, Discovery Communications, Colgate Palmolive, and TIAA–CREF. She has a doctorate from the George Washington University.

Nancy Tennant Snyder is corporate vice president of strategic competencies and leadership for Whirlpool Corporation. She has consulted at many companies on a wide range of business topics. Holding a doctorate in organizational behavior from George Washington University, she is the author of numerous articles on innovation, virtual teams, and organizational capability. She teaches as an adjunct faculty at the business school of the University of Notre Dame.