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Challenges remain
1. Reading body language
Donald Western of Caterpillar places a premium on making eye contact and reading body language, because he says a team member's words say one thing, but the body language says something very different. And usually the body language is more accurate.
2. Culture clashes
Distance meeting tools may be available, but their use is by no means automatic. "It's tough to convince high-level managers who are used to flying to different locations to use videoconferencing," says Bud Parer of Parker Hannifin. "When they come back and say that videoconferencing is not as good as being there, I agree with them. But they agree with me that it's better than a phone call."
3. Creating common objectives
Perhaps the biggest challenge is to ensure common objectives. Western puts it this way: "When you are dispersed around the world, the whole team has to be on the same page." To this end, some companies are flattening hierarchies so that information can flow unimpeded up and down the chain of command.
Crossmark, which outsources services including marketing and merchandising to consumer package companies, is shifting its corporate culture to open information flow. More than 18 months ago, CEO O.R. Smith began encouraging Crossmark's 10,000 employees to e-mail him about any major issue. In turn, other executives opened the e-mail floodgates, and the company can now resolve issues faster.
Besides e-mail, Crossmark is encouraging greater use of video meetings. The company currently uses videoconferencing from four domestic sites, but is adding at least a dozen Tandberg group systems by May. Crossmark, of Plano, Texas, currently uses line speeds of 384K to 768K bit/sec over ISDN primary rate interface, but is transitioning to IP-based videoconferencing.
William Norris, president of Crossmark's sales and marketing division, says, "The biggest challenge is to ensure that our focus, priorities, direction and culture are well understood."
Related Links
Rosen speaks on distance leadership and broadband topics. He is chief strategist of Impact Video Communication in San Francisco and can be reached at erosen@impactvid.com.
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