A conversation with Dr. Margery Mayer, author of the book “The Virtual Edge: Embracing Technology for Distributed Project Team Success” on what it takes to lead global teams.
Joining us today is Dr. Margery Mayer, author of the book “The Virtual Edge: Embracing Technology for Distributed Project Team Success”. Dr. Mayer will share with us her insights on Global Teams, the challenges faced by small, medium, and large organizations, techniques for better communication, and best practices that have worked of other global leaders.
Margery Mayer has a PhD in Leadership and Organization and focuses on global operations. She has been working across cultures as a virtual leader with teams, partners and stakeholders to focus on what needs to be accomplished in order to complete projects that deliver to expectations.
Her experience comes from many years of working with global leaders to solve leadership, organizational and communications issues.
She currently teaches Business and Strategy, and Group Dynamics and Communication for University of San Francisco and Kaplan Universities. She also facilitates workshops in Strategic Planning for the American Management Association (AMA).
The Interview
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- How did you get interested in exploring the topic of global Communication and what motivated you to do research on this topic?
- Define for us what is a global project and give us some examples from your research
- From you research, you found some key coordination challenges that face project managers leading Global Projects. Can you share with us your findings?
- You also found that Global Projects face a number of communication issues. Describe to us some of the key issues from your research.
- Give us an overview of the research that was the basis for your book: The Virtual Edge: Embracing Technology for Distributed Project Team Success
- What trends have you seen in researching Global Projects?
- What tools (technical and non-technical) have you found most effective in managing distributed team on Global Projects?
- If our listeners want to know more about how Global Communication, what resources do you recommend to them?
- I think people should learn about Global Business first. There are some books that are helpful; Global Business Today by Charles Hill, Globality by Harold Sirkin, James Hemerling and Arindam Bhattacharya; The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. In addition Kellogg Northwestern developed a leadership instrument to test one’s leadership skills which is in my book as well. It is at http://www.Kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/skills.html
- Summarize for us the key takeaways you’d like our listeners to take forward from your research on Global Communication?
- Understanding country culture is very important
- Realizing that asking yes or no question will not give you the response you really need. Probing into what is going on for the resource is a much better way to understand if they agree and can deliver to expectations.
- Documenting meeting and identify actions items is a very good way to keep people on track and hold them to commitments. This should be done right away.
- Respect other ways of doing things, The US ways is not always the best way.
- Become an active listener which can be difficult as foreign accents may be difficult. Restate what you heard so that they know you heard and understood.
- Be flexible in selecting the best time to meet. Being gracious goes a long way with others.
- What type of projects are you working on these days and what is next for you?
- I am involved with a proof-of-concept project In Germany that should be completing in early December.
- I am also on a project in Qatar which is really just heating up now.
- I recently spoke at the European Organization for Quality in Izmir, Turkey and will be speaking at the PMI EMEA Congress in Dublin in May. I hope to be speaking at the 55th Anniversary EOQ Conference in Budapest in June.
- I have been asked to help formulate a book on Russian restaurants in the US which should be an interesting research effort.
- I am ready for more global projects and hope other companies will contact me for assistance.
More about Dr. Margery Mayer
Dr. Margery Mayer’s ability to listen to the needs and nuances across cultures allows her to engage others in common objectives. She developed communications plans that reflect who, what, when, where, and why information is delivered in the right level of detail to the right people, at the right time. Her tagline has been, “Do it right or do it forever”.
Margery provides goal-oriented, pragmatic, and reliable oversight and execution. Her strategic approach, professionalism and commitment to business issues are what makes Margery unique.
Her books are:
The Virtual Edge: Embracing Technology for Distributed Project Team Success (2010) 2nd edition is currently available on Amazon.
What Motivates a Serial Entrepreneur in Silicon Valley; A Multiple Case Study of Serial Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley (2008) UMI
Contact Information
- Website and/or Blog: www.globaloperationsexperts.com
- Email: mmayer3@earthlink.net
- Twitter: @doctormayer
- Facebook: Margery Mayer
- Linkedin: Dr. Margery Mayer
- Skype: doctormayer
Listen now:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Right click here to download the MP3
*Our opening and closing theme song is music by the wonderful Paul Hardcastle and www.paulhardcastle.com
[…] Aidane posted two more interview podcasts this week – a conversation with Dr. Margery Mayer on leading global teams, and a conversation with Traci Duez on developing the courage to lead by using a framework to […]