Managing Without Walls: Maximize Success with Virtual, Global, and Cross-cultural Teams [Paperback]

Colleen Garton (Author), Kevin Wegryn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 158347062X | ISBN-13: 978-1583470626

As companies worldwide are moving more and more toward a virtual business model, this handbook offers insight for team members who collaborate on projects from geographically diverse locations. Included in this comprehensive reference guide is an explanation of virtual management and advice on how to coach and develop team members with success from far-off office locations. This practical discussion provides the teaching skills needed to help the current manager understand the complexity of the job and to be effective in this new and changing role. Sample evaluations prepare the prospective virtual managers to adequately assess and gauge the success and progress of a far-flung team.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Overall, I haven't read another book that addresses the ins and outs of managing virtual teams in such nitty-gritty detail."  —sourcingmag.com

"I really loved this book! If you manage remote or satellite teams, this book is a must read."  —MC iTechnology Manager

About the Author

Colleen Garton is the product management program director for global fraud solutions at Fair Isaac Corporation. She lives in San Diego. Kevin Wegryn is the project management practice lead and subject matter expert for Agilysys Professional Services Group. He lives in Cranford, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Mc Press (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158347062X
• ISBN-13: 978-1583470626
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #903,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, January 31, 2007

By 

Carla "Carla" (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Managing Without Walls: Maximize Success with Virtual, Global, and Cross-cultural Teams (Paperback)

A must read for anybody who manages remote team members. There are lots of books out there for the telecommuter but it is so hard to find information on how to manage telecommuters. This book is fantastic. It not only fills a huge knowledge gap, it does it with incredible clarity, insight and in an easy-to-read writing style. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It gives a whole different perspective on the differences betwen the various types of virtual environments and the challenges associated with each. The author does an excellent job of describing a situation, explaining what happens, why it happens , what the manager could do differently and includes excellent examples to help drive the point home. I have been managing virtual team members for a couple of years. Not all my team members work remotely and I fell into the trap of managing local team members and practically ignoring the remote ones. My remote team members now are happier each week as I implement more and more of the great ideas in this book. A must read for anyone managing team members long distance.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridging the Gap, January 29, 2007

By 

J. Vanhorne (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Managing Without Walls: Maximize Success with Virtual, Global, and Cross-cultural Teams (Paperback)

I've worked on both sides of the wall, as the virtual manager and the virtual employee. This book gives great insights on how to make this work. The examples and analogies in the book are excellent and easy to apply to real world situations. I especially liked the information on communication styles and how different people react and interact to each other.

This book contains a lot of information about things that might not occur to you that you need to know about managing or working virtually.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So You've Been Handed this Team Project, February 18, 2007

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Managing Without Walls: Maximize Success with Virtual, Global, and Cross-cultural Teams (Paperback)

One indication that a concept's time has come is the addition to Micosoft's product line of software to facilitate that concept. Such is the case with Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 Team System. Here is a simple to get project developent package oriented to software design, development, testing by people scattered among work groups around the world.

This book, however, carries on with the managerial side of team development rather than the mechanics of how the software works. The managerial side has to handle mundane problems like language, time zone changes, cultural differences, and of course communications when you can't call a meeting and get everyone into the same room.

There are other books available that discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing things like software development. Again that's not this book. This book presumes that the decisions have been made and it's now up to you to get the job done.