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How do you manage more than one team? What methodologies do you use to manage distributed teams? What tools?

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Question added by Mohamed Helal , Project Manager , GROUP CONSULT INTERNATIONAL
Date Posted: 2016/04/06
Nuridin Islam Diab
by Nuridin Islam Diab , Training Manager , Bbusinesss LLE

I use the same management philosophy with one team or multiple teams. Each one of those multiple teams I manage should have a team leader that the rest of the team report to, and that team leader reports to me. I don't need to manage the work of every single individual as I won't have time to do my other tasks. In case of big numbers of teams, (more than 9 teams), I group those team leaders and assign team managers for every 3-5 teams to manage the team leaders and those team managers report to me. The main purpose of this process is not to have more than 7-9 people report to me directly so that I can take good care of them and their needs and at the same time manage to finish my other tasks. Same process applies for virtual teams or distant teams. 

TARIG BABIKER AL AMIN
by TARIG BABIKER AL AMIN , Head of Planning and Studies Unit , Sudanese Free Zones and Markets Co.

With today’s technologies and collaboration tools, software development projects are no longer impeded by distance between team members. In the past, businesses sought offshore development solutions strictly for cost savings, as companies with limited IT budgets could build applications for less using resources in locations with a lower cost of living. Today, they are starting to realize the true value of being able to assemble teams of experts anywhere in the world

Adopt a hybrid approach with local and remote team members

Designate a leader at each work-site

Distribute work equally and assign ownership to every individual

Adhere to engineering best practices and development standards

Respect time zone and cultural differences

Use of online tools for agile artifacts

Adapt communication methods to remote teams

Arrange face-to-face interaction

Cultivate commitment to product and delivery quality

Allow for proper on-boarding and training

Frequent demos and retrospectives

Put it in writing 

Ghada Eweda
by Ghada Eweda , Medical sales hospital representative , Pfizer pharmaceutical Plc.

Many wonderful answers are given here. Thanks

Zain ul Abdin
by Zain ul Abdin , Project Planning & Control Manager , Redco International Trading and Contracting

In case you are deployed to manage more than one team, you don't basically manage multiple teams. It's the team leaders that you manage. If the team leaders for those teams are not already identified, find persons capable enough to lead those teams and deploy them as team leaders. Define their authorities and responsibilities. This is the only sensible way in my opinion. You just have to have a closer supervision of the new team leaders until they are well accustomed to their role.

sardar mardookhy
by sardar mardookhy , PMP certified Project manager , MCCI

I think the best way is delegation.

we can not make everything by our selves, we should delegate some of our tasks and make a higher layer for managing the team leaders.

Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani
by Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani , Snr. HR & Finance Officer , Sarri Zawetta Company

Thank you for invitation,

It is not an easy but not difficult job , just you need to follow the next steps in my opinion.

Let's say you have four teams distributed on four regions:

  1. Assign good, experienced, honest supervisors or managers for these teams and manage them remotely or directly.
  2. Put one plan for all , based on general plan and targeted region. to facilitate the controlling, directing, and evaluation.
  3. Hit target is the indication of performance, based on numerical evaluation.
  4. Feedback is an other indication to good performance , taken from market (Availability & Visibility) for your products and services.
  5. One order send to all teams one time , usually at the beginning of the day to avoid any misunderstanding, and to guarantee one implementation in one time then you can evaluate their performance one by one.
  6. Gather the supervisors or\\and managers weekly and review all needed procedures, and do not forget to ask them about their teams and team members, when they realize that your interesting they do their best to achieve and when they realizing that you are know every single person inside their team they struggling to let them do their best.
  7. Make a daily revision for daily reports which team managers sending to you to stand on real performance and what happening when they do their assigned targets.
  8. Visit them if they are out of your region "monthly" or escort them 'weekly' if they are in your region to let them feel there is always a controller watching their delivery.
  9. The Rest will be the same as you doing every day.   

Khalid Ghaffar
by Khalid Ghaffar , Consultant for Business Development , Waters Corporation USA

since last 7 years I am managing 12 countries around MENA region and handling more then 7 cross cultural teams

the tool help me to effectively manage the team is Daily management, use of CRM, weekly VOIP calls and monthly face to face interaction

Rami Assaf
by Rami Assaf , Plant Manager , Al Manaseer group

Thanks for invitation

 

I amagreeing with my colleague’s answer Mr. Khalid Ghaffar . I will answer same like his answer

مها شرف
by مها شرف , معلمة لغة عربية , وزارة التربية السورية

I agree with specialties answers, thanks for the invitation. 

Emad Mohammed said abdalla
by Emad Mohammed said abdalla , ERP & IT Software, operation general manager . , AL DOHA Company

I fully agree with the answers been added by EXPERTS...............Thanks.

Thank you for your invitation, I apologize for the answer, I leave the answer to experts specialists.

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