Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2014 - (Page 24)

BY BEN LOVEGROVE i n F LU E N C I N G WITHOUT LINE AUTHORITY A KEY SKILL FOR VIRTUAL PROJECT MANAGERS INCREASING GLOBALIZATION OF ORGANIZATIONS' WORKFORCES, OFF-SHORING AND OUTSOURCING HAVE LED TO A NEW REQUIREMENT FOR PROJECT MANAGERS. THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO "DIP IN AND OUT" OF NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS LEADING VIRTUAL TEAMS (SOME OF WHOM THEY MAY NOT HAVE LINE AUTHORITY OVER) TO DELIVER RESULTS ON TARGET AND ON BUDGET. ALONG WITH THESE NEW CHALLENGES, COME NEW SKILLS THAT PROJECT MANAGERS MUST LEARN TO MANAGE VIRTUAL TEAMS ACROSS BOUNDARIES, CULTURES AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS. BUT IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THESE GLOBAL ROLES, THERE ARE FIVE KEY AREAS THAT NEED TO BE DEVELOPED: 1. NURTURING YOUR GLOBAL NETWORK 2. DEVELOPING YOUR PERSONAL POWER Networking is about talking, listening, developing relationships and building trust with people. When working on virtual projects, networking should be done as effectively as if you were face-toface. In order to determine where and how to network, you must first identify goals and objectives and then pinpoint the right individuals to connect with. It is not your actual power, but rather your perceived power, that counts. People will allow you to influence them if they believe that you have power. There are two sources of power available to tap into: one external and the other internal or personal power. Judi Marshall, a professor in sustainability leadership, defines personal power as, "A sense of personal self-worth; an individual valuing and having access to all their characteristics through an aware, but not necessarily pleased self-tolerance." Developing a global network offers important benefits such as: * Making better decisions because you have more people to call upon for information and advice. * Gaining more respect and credibility with clients and external stakeholders because you seem to know what's going on in their world. * Getting things done quicker by knowing who to go to for help. * Having your team members take comfort in feeling that you are well-connected and "in the know." 24 Influential people generate plenty of personal power. They are strong because they trust themselves. They hear others, but their behaviors and judgements are not dominated by a need to conform, to be liked, to lead or to manipulate others. They are spontaneous, honest, have high self-esteem and feel comfortable using power. You may find that there are times when your personal sources of

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2014

From Where I Sit
Table of Contents
Guest Editor: Developing Emerging Talent Pipelines
The Inherent Inertia of Training
Stop Harping on Generational Differences
Learning to Live the Brand
Leading through a Merger and Acquisition
Organizational Change through Applied Learning
Influencing without Line Authority: A Key Skill for Virtual Project Managers
The Currency of Trust: The Difference between Flourishing and Floundering
Building Buy-in for Learning Investments
Sales Winners Sell Differently: How Selling Is and Isn't Changing
From Mind-Full to Mindful: The Intention/Instruction Intersection
The Implications of Organizational Forgetting
Casebook: ADP: Improving Sales Process Effectiveness
Sustaining Training's Impact
Managing at the Speed of Business
Becoming an Authentic Leader
What's Online
Company News

Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2014