Chapter 12. Distributed Teams

This chapter focuses on distributed teams and provides insights on the challenges arising from distributed working and the enablers that can be introduced to address these challenges. A distributed team is one where all members of the team are not co-located, that is, they are separated by physical location and have to work toward achieving a common outcome. This separation could be just being on different floors in the same building or as far as being on the opposite side of the globe.

By definition, distributed working is difficult due to the "tyranny of distance." Despite all the advancements in technology related to communication and collaboration, distributed teams still face challenges, as people are "not in the same room." However, implementing specific ways of working can help a great deal to alleviate the challenges, if not eliminate them.

While a team that is distributed will face challenges regardless of the type of work being performed, the challenges...