Working globally, living locally

During the last decade we have experienced a period of rapid technological advancement. This period produced unprecedented progress in the way people communicate between distant parts of the globe. Today, your closest co-worker may only be about two tenths of a second away (measured by the speed of light), since the Internet enables us to participate on the same project, regardless of geographical location. While we can now put people from distant locations and very different cultures on the same project, managers have to enable them to work effectively by the implementation of the appropriate tools. Professionals have to be ready to contribute to their professional communities, both locally and globally. In addition, each professional must be in charge of his or her own growth plan. This paper gives tips for managers and professionals on how to participate locally in the community, and tools they can use to work more effectively in a distributed team.