Applying Knowledge Management to Improve Performance of Dispersed Teams.doc

Applying Knowledge Management to Improve Performance of Dispersed Teams
Applying
Knowledge Management
to Improve Performance of Dispersed Teams
Center for Systems Management, Inc1>.
9>2325 Dulles Corner Blvd, Suite 670
Herndon, VA 20171
(800) 486-8090
And keeping them from ing “Virtual”
Mark A. Wilson
At what point does a team e “Virtual”?
not all in one room
not all in one floor of a building
not on one campus
not in the same city
not in the same time zone
municating and collaborating effectively
When team members are:
Virtual, adjective
“Existing in the mind, especially as a product of the imagination.”
Definition
First…A Little about CSM
Our business is based on managing and transferring knowledge
We train and consult in project management and system engineering
Our clients are government agencies and large corporations, primarily and aerospace
Our products/services are tailored for each client
This has created a large IP repository
CSM’s Visualization Model
Context
Until 1999, we were located on one floor of an office building in the San Francisco Bay Area
Our staff is now widely dispersed with the largest concentration in Northern Virginia
Even where we’re clustered (Northern VA, Northern CA, and Denver), we are seldom in the local office.
Problems we experience as a “Dispersed Team”
People
Process
Resources
Tools
Collaboration is seldom face-to-face
Email / IM is addictive…and time consuming
Different cultures in Europe and Asia sometimes create misunderstandings
Determining visibility and Status is a challenge
Different time zones requires asynchronous ops
Roles and responsibilities are often unclear
Communication takes more effort
Physical separation can evolve into isolation
Knowledge Management - CSM context
Managing the leadership, organization, technology and learning aspects of internal and external intellectual assets through retention and collaborative sharing of knowledge for the purpose of imp