Page 39 - Becoming a Successful Manager

30 KNOWING THE TERRITORY

Success requires a commitment or magnetism to hold the
members together as they sell and deliver. We asked her, “What is
the company’s formula to maintain that attraction?”
She said that members of a virtual community require a clear
set of goals, a mission, and a shared understanding of purpose.

They also need to have freedom and flexibility to deliver on their
timetable within the deadlines they have been given. “Everyone
knows that as part of the company we work to avert crisis. The best
way to achieve that includes establishing formalized communica-
tion, respecting standing appointments, and establishing check-
points during a process or project.”
She summarized by saying, “Everything we do is evaluated
around [the question], how is this helping our customer?” So, it
is not about the individuals; it is about helping the customer.
To empower the employees, they want to know:

What needs to be done
When it needs to be done
Who is responsible for getting it done
Why it needs to be done
How success will be measured

Managers are responsible for:

Clarifying what needs to be done

Encouraging flexibility concerning how it gets done
Allowing for cultural and generational differences
Incorporating the strengths of all team members
Letting goals dictate the technology used, not
vice versa
Providing for continuous verifi cation and validation