The nine-to-five workday is as old as the typewriter. Global businesses work around the clock. Some employees go to sleep while others work toward corporate goals.
Businesses relied on hierarchies in the past. Businesses now seek out global assets to maximize technology, human talent and knowledge.
Parallel work teams, also known as “mirror zones,”Global businesses can cut down the time it takes products to cycle through design, development, testing and market entry. Global partnerships are essential for innovation in the healthcare, technology, automobile, computer, and computer industries. Boeing used over 70 companies and global interdisciplinarity job teams to create its 787 Dreamliner.
These are progressive companies that employ global teams of workers. “global collaborative enterprises.”These employees must have exceptional communication skills.
Engineers, for instance, need to be “system thinkers.”Engineers don’t work closely with just one team at one office. They collaborate with multiple teams in different time zones.
Managers must not rely solely on their own skills. These skills are insignificant compared to the greater market’s array of talents and capabilities. Managers should approach projects holistically.
Good collaborators are always focused on innovation and will seek out widely dispersed knowledge. The world has a wealth of resources that can help improve the quality and efficiency of product design. Businesses can tap into this pool.
Tools make it easier for workers to work together in collaborative environments. Videoconferencing and instant messaging make it easier to communicate. Virtual work environments can be used to imitate physical workplaces by some companies. “Avatars,”Workers feel more at ease when digitally rendered headshots appear on computer screens.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), which addresses the cultural shift at work and its effect on technical careers, holds conferences on multidisciplinary collaboration and global partnering. Asme.org has more information.
