Uniting the Virtual Workforce: Transforming Leadership and Innovation in the Globally Integrated Enterprise

Preface

In the past decade, virtual communications have provided tremendous gains for both individuals and organizations in the global workplace. Most professionals today are mobile-leveraging portable laptops and other devices along with anywhere anytime communications. This frees the 21^st century worker from the confines of any given physical space or wall clock to work unfettered by space and time and able to access a vast array of knowledge and information. Flexible work arrangements have also made it possible for large numbers of otherwise disenfranchised people to participate more fully in the new millennium workforce. All this while, business productivity has risen dramatically.

Rarely, however, do we hear about any downsides or after-effects of virtual work, either in terms of added costs that actually deflate the bottom line or in the emerging mental health detriments resulting from the pressures of operating in a 24/7, “always-on” culture. For instance, one insurance company we worked with lost $3 million on one project alone due to issues surrounding virtual work. Employees were highly dissatisfied with their jobs and morale had all but bottomed out.

According to our research, these financial and social costs are accelerating and point to an emerging paradox: As communication technology advances increase, we feel more disconnected from work and each other than ever before. This produces a widening “gap” between rising productivity expectations and decreasing social ...