Virtual Teams
www.tmaworld.comVirtual Team Readiness Testing. Virtual teams, where members attempt to complete projects despite being geographically dispersed, will grow more common as advanced computer networks and communication technologies become even more sophisticated.
Are you (and your organization) ready to work in this sort of electronically connected team environment? You can find out, thanks to the Web site of a management training company at www.tmaworld.com. Complete the "Are you ready for the borderless workplace?" test (for your current or past employer). Then click on the "Submit" button. You will be given a virtual team readiness score and a brief interpretation.

1			How did you score? Are you pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised?
2			How ready are you for work on a virtual team? In what areas does your virtual team need more training in order to work effectively?

Building Effective Teams
www.ncsu.edu/ North Carolina State University. In this chapter, group development and effective teams are discussed. Many students find themselves working in groups to complete school projects. NCSU posts an interesting article on Turning Student Groups into Effective Teams by Oakley, Felder, Brent and Elhajj (2004). Go to www.ncsu.edu in the search box type in "effective teams" to find the article formerly mentioned. Peruse the article to find tips to help you develop a more effective team for your next student project.

3			What are the eight conditions the authors suggest in the summary to enable effective student teams? Scroll to the end of the document where you will see an addendum on what to do with a"hitchhiker or couch potato." Discuss the suggested tactics and whether you agree with the tactics or not