An international video-conference hosted by Sheppard Moscow in association with Financial Times Prentice Hall.

London and Singapore, Thursday 13th March 2008, 08.30/16.30

There is much encouragement of ‘team-work’ in modern management – and perhaps an equal degree of scepticism as to whether the concept is valid.
Do we exaggerate the extent to which cohesive teams exist in business?

Is the approach more applicable to sport?

Turning the question around, however, how much can an individual achieve on his or her own in a globalised economy? Products and services are highly sophisticated, and often managed by complex networks featuring internal teams, outsourced suppliers and joint venture partners. Inevitably, individuals are going to rely on others, and will often belong simultaneously to several different groups and project teams.

And as globalisation spreads, people are asked to be members of a team whose members do not sit in the same office, or even in the same country. Team members are often expected to make these virtual relationships work with little formal advice or training.

On 13th March 2008, consultants and clients of Sheppard Moscow will hold an international video-conference in association with the publisher FT-Prentice Hall to discuss this issue. It will consider questions such as:

It’s not the ‘soft’ stuff: how do we prioritise relationships and trust in teams?

How do we ensure that the level of relationships and closeness of working is appropriate to the task?

The importance of context: what is the team’s true purpose?

In a dispersed team, how often should we meet colleagues in person – and how should we use precious face-to-face time?

Cultural questions: how do we incorporate knowledge of different cultures, without falling in to the trap of stereotyping individuals?

The inclusion of a video-conference link during the meeting – joining expert groups from London and Singapore – will offer a live illustration of the features of this form of meeting, which is often required in the ‘flat’ economic world, where business team members are located in different continents.

The event will be chaired by Philip Whiteley, co-author of a new book How to Manage in a Flat World, published by FT-Prentice Hall. Based on interviews with leading executives from around the world, Philip’s research gives him a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities for globally dispersed teams.

In a forthcoming report on teamwork, to be published by Sheppard Moscow, consultant Ally Salisbury describes how an exploration and minerals company requires different levels of closeness in team-working, depending on which team.

“There is a leadership team: they do need to know each other quite well; to be more closely aligned. But there are other situations, where they contract with a wider range of contractors, where it is about knowing what you need to deliver, when, and cost. It’s much more transactional. In this context, you don’t necessarily need to create a shared vision and shared purpose.”

In How to Manage in a Flat World Tan Cher Cheng, human resources director of WL Gore & Associates in Asia-Pacific, describes how the organisation successfully established a manufacturing unit in China based on its democratic, participative principles. He says:

‘When you start discussing our company culture, it appears initially to be a western, American culture. But what about trust, integrity, teamwork: are they western? They’re very eastern. When you get into a discussion, you find that they are universal values. Usually, you can group all the best companies; best cultures into some core values: honesty, team-working, trust.’

Attending the event in London will be consultants from Sheppard Moscow together with clients, including leading private and public sector employers.

The London venue is the Penguin headquarters, 80 The Strand, London WC2R 0RL.

Sheppard Moscow Asia Pacific will welcome a panel of consultants and clients to The Executive Centre, Level 25, North Tower, One Raffles Quay.

For more information please contact Michelle McCarthy at Sheppard Moscow London on +44 (0)207 929 9650.

How to Manage in a Flat World, by Susan Bloch and Philip Whiteley, is published by Financial Times-Prentice Hall
http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/Bookshop/detail.asp?item=100000000248228

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