Page 12 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

IntroduCtIon � ix

` thIs Book Is Very dIFFerent thAn
whAt we ImAgIned It to Be!

Interestingly, many times book introductions are written last as au-
thors finalize their book. The reason for that makes sense: the authors
have learned much along the way. That has been our case as well.
We originally thought that we would be spending a lot of time
talking about technology, but as we looked more deeply into what
successful mobile workforce managers must do, we realized that the
technology, while important, was just the ante to get in the mobile
workforce game. The successful leaders who consistently distinguish
themselves, we found, are those who take the principles of leadership
and apply them to the specific challenge of mobile workforce man-
agement. As Hewlett-Packard’s Bill Avey told us, you need to have
good technology to be successful, but then what determines success
is whether or not, from a leadership perspective, you can bridge the
distance gap and create essential personal relationships.
Within a span of just over three months we interviewed 39 lead-
ers about managing a mobile workforce. We didn’t interview them
just to obtain quotes to validate our views; we interviewed them to
learn. Their experiences and views changed what we thought this
book should cover.
The online devices your employees are using right now—mobile
phone, netbook, whatever—are the least important factor for your
organizational and competitive mobile workforce success. Sooner or
later anyone can get the same devices you have. More valuable will
be the applications you are using. Most critical will be whether or
not you have created a work environment that attracts, motivates,
trains, enables, and retains the talent you need to stay ahead of
the competition and meet your goals. There are many sources for
finding out how to make the technological choices managers need
to make—this book has a single-minded concentration on what is
required to develop and lead the mobile workforce that is rapidly
emerging today.