Leading global product development teams

Global teams offer an opportunity for companies to compete more effectively on a global scale. Given the importance ascribed to global teams as a mechanism for developing new products, there is a clear need for companies to find effective ways to manage these teams. Three actions are particularly critical to creating effective global teams: holding an initial face-to-face team meeting that lasts a minimum of three days, increasing the amount of communication among team members, and holding periodic progress update meetings. While the initial meeting sets the stage in facilitating communication, building trust and establishing interpersonal relationships, continual efforts to increase communication and project progress meetings serve to reinforce and expand these behaviors that are so crucial to effective cross-functional global new product development.