People Skills: Leading Virtual Teams—A Change Management Perspective

This is another in a series of articles about some of the most effective models, methods, and processes of organization development (OD), also known as change management, a discipline that offers much to professionals intent on solving real-world problems. Because it is based on a systemic view of organizations, OD includes the whole universe of fuzzy people issues that increasingly determine the success or failure of efforts to implement otherwise flawless technical solutions. This article examines the growing phenomenon of geographically distributed teams that interact primarily by using technology. The primary focus is on how modern leadership and change management principles and practices can enhance a leader's ability to overcome the challenges that such virtual teams present.