Page 20 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

IntroduCtIon � xvii

` A mAnuAl For deVelopIng And sustAInIng
A moBIle workForCe

We’ve organized this book to provide tools you can use to support
the practices needed to lead a virtual organization. In every chapter
we will share leadership stories, ideas, and tools that you can apply to
your organization.
Part 1, Thinking Strategically about the Mobile Workforce, will cause
you to think differently about the future work landscape than you have
ever done before. Chapter 1, Moving to Mobility, describes the need
for leaders and workers to be prepared for a world in which nearly
every person will be working “mobilely.” Chapter 2, Discovering a New
Workforce Paradigm, starts with paradigm busters. We talk about orga-
nizations such as Vocera Communications and Deloitte LLP, in ways
that will challenge you to think about the opportunities technology
provides your organization. Chapter 3, Presence, proposes a new “pres-
ence” paradigm, which takes into consideration technology (telep-
resence, for example), social (virtual relationships, for example), and
leadership (charisma at a distance?) presence. Chapter 4, Trust or Bust,
is completely devoted to the need for and qualities of trust in virtual
situations. Stephen M. R. Covey lends his considerable expertise to
showing how principles of trust can be applied to mobile workforces.
Chapter 5, Strategic Leadership in a Virtual World, draws upon the lead-
ership of people such as John Berry, the Director of the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management, to explain the strategic thinking, leadership,
and execution that is required to move to a mobile workforce. Here
we talk about the importance of a “strategic platform” for moving to
mobility.
Part 2, Performance Management and the Mobile Workforce, lays out
the process of managing the performance of mobile workers. In Chap-
ter 6, Autonomy or Not Autonomy? That Is the Question, we show two
different approaches to mobile performance management. Both can
be very effective. In Chapter 7, The Mobile Performance Management
Process, we start with Con-way, a $3.7 billion trucking, logistics, and