Leading Virtual Project Teams

"In a 1945 speech, Winston Churchill stated, "We are shaping the world faster than we can change ourselves, and we are applying to the present the habits of the past." Was Churchill predicting the future of project management? Have we changed how we communicate and lead projects? Have leadership and management theories and models evolved to keep pace with today's business environment?Leading Virtual Project Teams: Adapting Leadership Theories and Communications Techniques to 21st Century Organizations addresses the challenges the virtual project management environment poses to traditional methods of leadership and communication. It introduces new approaches for adapting existing leadership theories to e-leadership as well as progressive tools and techniques to improve virtual project communications.The book begins by examining the factors affecting the movement from traditional work environments to virtual organizations. It considers the challenges of leading multicultural, global organizations and reviews what e-leadership means. Illustrating the application of both traditional and new leadership models and theories to virtual project management, the book includes best practices for:Managing and motivating the multicultural teamCommunicating in a distributed work environmentAvoiding social isolationCyber-bullying in the virtual environment and e-ethicsCultural management issues Explaining how traditional leadership theories and models can be applied to contemporary projects, the book details methods virtual project managers can use to enhance virtual communications. The final chapter describes the e-leadership skills and competencies project managers will need to ensure sustainable success in today's competitive business environment. This book provides the virtual project manager with the tools and techniques to improve e-leadership and communications. Complete with case studies that illustrate real-world applications to the virtual challenges presented in each chapter, the book is a suitable text for educational institutions looking to increase understanding of project management leadership and communications outside the traditional project environment"--

"Preface Leadership and communications are interdependent and cannot be separated. A project manager cannot lead effectively without a good understanding of leadership theory and models. That same project manager cannot lead without recognizing the importance of communications. Communications have evolved significantly since the last century. Leadership theories and models have transitioned to the 21st century. Or have they? Have our leadership and management theories and models changed to keep up with the modern business environment? Or do we habitually continue to use and teach them as if virtual and global management does not exist in our current environment? In a 1945 speech to the combined Belgian Senate and Chamber, Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, "We are shaping the world faster than we can change ourselves, and we are applying to the present the habits of the past." Was Churchill predicting the future of project management? Have we changed how we lead projects and communicate? Leading Virtual Project Teams addresses the challenges that today's virtual project management environment poses to traditional methods of leadership and communication. Leadership for successful virtual team management is different from traditional, collocated project team management. Being familiar with appropriate e-leadership styles for virtual project teams and the transition toward new leadership styles, communication techniques for virtual project teams, and e-leadership competencies is an important part of managing projects and human resources in successful organizations today"--