The Power of Virtual Distance, 2nd Edition

3Meeting Virtual Distance

In Chapter 2, we talked about distance and the major role it plays. As we discussed, we've discovered over the past 15 years that Virtual Distance predictably gets in the way of effective collaboration in the Digital Age.

Virtual Distance can be described as a felt sense of distance that grows unconsciously when we rely heavily on mediated communications through smart digital devices.

It's different than other kinds of distance in that it has qualities that can result from both real distance, like physical separation, and perceived spaces that develop from social gaps. This feeling of detachment can also happen day-to-day as people attempt to balance enormous amounts of work with building meaningful relationships in any given moment.

As we saw in the Preface and will discuss in more detail later on, Virtual Distance can cause havoc with financial results, competitive standing, as well as other important aspects of work. But before we get into those details, it's important to understand what contributes to this sense of separation among us. This chapter introduces you to the specific parts of Virtual Distance that make up the Virtual Distance Model. It also lays out the foundation on which solutions can be developed to increase performance, improve trust, enhance innovation, and get better bottom-line results from today's workforce – all of whom are virtual.

Recall the Prime Virtual Distance Principle:

• Everyone is a virtual worker, therefore Virtual ...