Team Engagement / Emotional Intelligence:
Team Engagement skills are essential in any type of work that requires
the collaboration of multiple people. International localization
projects are rather complex because they consist of many more complex
variables than any other project. For example, the participating team
does usually not work all in one office. When people are able to get physically together at one geographic office location it is always
easier to come to one unanimous decision.
Engaging a multi-national team of project task participants requires special relationships. The internet electronic communication systems (emails) do not necessarily develop good relationships. A research study performed during one of my prior employer's projects suggests that emails increase the workload and decrease the relationship quality between people.
Team Engaging is a method to teach and train employees in international organizations to network with each other in various activities that will promote personal relationship building. This requires video conferencing, telephone conferences, and even in-person conferences that reach over continents. I can engage cross-continental employees also in customized games and events.
Engagement is also about emotional intelligence. In other words, when people have their heart in their work they perform better because they love the product, the environment, and the people they work with. And having their heart in their team work is consequentially the result of relationship building between them.
Engaging a multi-national team of project task participants requires special relationships. The internet electronic communication systems (emails) do not necessarily develop good relationships. A research study performed during one of my prior employer's projects suggests that emails increase the workload and decrease the relationship quality between people.
Team Engaging is a method to teach and train employees in international organizations to network with each other in various activities that will promote personal relationship building. This requires video conferencing, telephone conferences, and even in-person conferences that reach over continents. I can engage cross-continental employees also in customized games and events.
Engagement is also about emotional intelligence. In other words, when people have their heart in their work they perform better because they love the product, the environment, and the people they work with. And having their heart in their team work is consequentially the result of relationship building between them.
| By the way, outsourced service providers cannot be emotionally engaged.
It is impossible! They are mercenaries with interests only for their own
gain. That is why it is also challenging to get good work done by
translation services and design firms that work on your marketing
materials and are independent contractors. I am not suggesting they
need to be hired on as permanent employees. But at least more emphasis
on relationship building activities between them and the task teams and
especially the project manager need to be considered. Building an emotional team engagement environment requires a budget of course. Activities that should be taken into account are sport events, dinner, movies, traveling together, gifts, and other bonuses that help build relationship. As project manager, setting milestones for achievements in project is one of the skills and training I bring to the table. For example, a project milestone has been reached, the team went out for lunch together to celebrate it. As a result, they were able to recognize one another and enjoy each others' company at the lunch table. In addition, recognition awards were presented. OC Tanner in collaboration with a research company found that recognition in the work environment is more effective in improving employee satisfaction than monetary compensation. |
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