Main MenuBook & Article Categories
- Main Menu
Book & Article Categories
- Main Menu
Collections
Explore all collections
Articles & Books From Tara Powers
Your essential guide to working from home and staying connected In today's networked global economy, working from home is no longer a novelty. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies and organizations everywhere are embracing the game-changing benefits of allowing employees to work outside the office, and the results are profound: managers benefit by saving money and resources and by having access to talent outside their zip codes, while employees enjoy greater job opportunities, productivity, independence, and satisfaction—in part from the time saved not commuting.
Article / Updated 06-18-2019
Virtual work as a career choice is a decision that requires thought and planning. Although at first it may seem daunting to make the switch to working remotely, it can create a fulfilling and rewarding work experience for both the employer and the employee if done with care, clarity, and intention.These sections discuss why virtual work is popular, how virtual work can affect on your life, and some questions you can ask yourself to discover whether virtual work is best for you.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
Virtual teams have different needs than teams who are located in the same office. If you’re not careful, the literal distance between team members can create figurative distances. From there you can expect communication breakdown, reduced productivity, disengagement, confusion, mistrust, and ultimately, failure.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
Virtual teams aren’t a good fit for all organizations. Your company may be willing, but not ready — or perhaps it’s the other way around. You may not have the technology to support virtual team adoption. Or your organization has the technology in place and employees are asking for it, but your co-located executive team is hesitant to agree to it.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
Companies around the world are currently experiencing one of the greatest shifts in how work gets done around the world. It impacts the way people connect, the way teams communicate, the way leaders build relationships, and the way organizations accomplish results. It can be a positive change for people, the planet, and company profits if approached mindfully and designed to embrace technology, prioritize communication and relationships, and support a strong appreciation of culture and diversity.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
In 2016, I launched a research study to validate and test the theory that the pros of having a virtual team and business outweigh the cons. This study included input from close to 200 executives, virtual team leaders, and team members from a mix of industries in Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and small business.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
Several years ago, as part of my work with teams and leaders on communication, trust, and leadership, I began taking note that more and more of these team leaders and team members had never met face-to-face and relied solely on technology to stay connected.The use of virtual teams, fueled by advances in technology and the promise of reduced operational costs, was growing at a rapid rate.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
Before you jump feetfirst into the world of virtual teams, you want to be knowledgeable about the common challenges that virtual teams face that can potentially render them as failures. Most of the research available on virtual team obstacles cites similar challenges, the five flaws of virtual teams. These flaws generally represent a lack of focus, commitment, and leadership by the organization.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
In order to implement a virtual team in your organization, you want to ensure that you’ve contemplated some important considerations. Virtual teams can be a small part of your business or they can be integral to all of your business functions. You can begin with a pilot virtual team or decide to leverage your technical investment and go all in on virtual teams.
Article / Updated 10-31-2018
If you agree that virtual teams are a good fit for your company, the next step is to develop your plan. High functioning virtual teams don’t happen by accident. They happen because the organization and leader put in the time and effort to build a solid foundation for virtual team success. This includes things like team purpose and goals, role clarity for team members, a transition plan for those co-located employees moving to a virtual team as well as overall communication recommendation to the rest of the company.
