Scott Cromar, Senior Manager, Convergys
Geographically dispersed teams have become a reality in most large workplaces. Organizations have pressed to reduce costs by shifting work from high cost locations to lower cost locations, and efficiencies in system management have allowed organizations to move away from hiring teams localized in a single site.
Managing a dispersed team brings its own set of challenges and opportunities. Cultural, linguistic, time zone, and other differences can cripple a team if not managed properly. But there are also opportunities that come from an increased diversity of viewpoints or follow-the-sun scheduling.
This workshop will help people in geographically dispersed teams to avoid some common pitfalls and to structure their work for success.
Who should attend:
People who have a leadership position on a technical team, or who aspire to a leadership position.
Take back to work:
Attendees will learn some techniques and mindsets important to the challenge of managing a team with dispersed members.
Topics include:
- Common types of dispersed teams
- Efficient communication
- Coordination, collaboration, and control
- Building cohesion
- Cultural expectations and norms
- Structuring processes and procedures for success
- Scheduling and creating a workflow rhythm
Scott Cromar, Senior Manager, Convergys
Scott Cromar is an experienced IT manager who still remembers what it was like to step into his first leadership position from a technical role. He has assembled diverse, multifunctional, globally distributed operational teams for several employers over his career, and he enjoys the challenge of creating a team from a group of talented individuals.
author = {Scott Cromar},
title = {Managing Dispersed Teams},
year = {2016},
address = {Boston, MA},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = dec
}