The challenges of managing a virtual (remote) team  

The challenges of managing projects involving teams with members from
multiple ethnic and sociopolitical backgrounds

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Clarification of Question by ikat_76-ga on 27 Dec 2005 07:26 PST

Please provide answer only on second question by friday 30th December.

Hi,

I am a Project Manager and Technical Leader for a well known consulting company.
I have an experience with establishing an offshore development team.
It is impossible to create a HOW TO list. It is all depends on a
number of factors. However I can share with you my experience and
hopefully you will be able to make a good team. Feel free to contact
me if you will need help denisATdilvestDOTcom.

Here is an abstract from my article

Success of managing an offshore team by Denis Chukhryaev.

Abstract

Managing people is not easy, but managing remote people is much more difficult.

·Do not manage people but rather manage the process and end result. 
Manage people only when it is really needed and if you do it right it
should not be often.

·Define a set of standards and enforce them during the project.

·Perform a regular code review.

·Implement brainstorming sessions.

·Share the future of the project so the developers can understand the direction.

·Create an environment were developers are wiling to express their ideas.
Learn how to ask right questions so offshore developers can come up
with ?right idea? by them. When developer is implementing ?his own
ideas? for the project he is more responsible and more interested in
the final result.

·Since there is no way to enforce work hours give developers
flexibility in their work schedule. But make sure they notify about
any absence from work.

·Play with schedule so there will be times were developers will have
to work really hard and probably overtime, but make sure that relief
time will follow. Make sure that developers will be pleased when they
meet such ?crazy? deadlines.

·Do not play manager?s game by not clearly defining what needs to be
done. Be precise and detailed with tasks for a developer.

·Make sure that developers know what other team members do. That is
why all task distribution emails should be send to all team members
but addressed to the one who is going to implement a particular task.

·Define a ?build and upload schedule? so you can have regularly code
builds and uploads to your side.

·Do not tolerate finger pointing in case there is a mistake but rather
make a team failure.

·Be involved in code testing and bug fixing. This way you will know
the code better.

·Use thankful emails at the end of the project and note everyone?s
contribution that leaded to the success of the project. Make sure that
everyone is included.

·At the end of the project discuss weak points that happened during the project.

·Remember birthdays of your offshore team members.



Good Luck 
(C) by Denis Chukhryaev