The Manager's Pocket Guide to Virtual Teams

Step C.Understand how differences contribute to team effectiveness

•   What it means:

—   Seeing differences as strengths

•   How it works:

—   Develop a team chart

—   Calculate the range within each category

—   Look for ways to utilize differences to achieve higher performance

The Idea

Teams work best when they have a broad variety of styles and can build on those differences in a positive way.

•   Teams need people who get their way indirectly through strategy and careful planning, and people who get their way directly by taking charge and pushing for action.

•   Teams need diplomats, as well as drivers.

•   Teams need people who direct their energies inward to the world of ideas and thought, and people who direct their energy outward toward ...