SPA Conference session: Effective Distributed Workforces

One-line description: How to make working in a distributed workforce effective for all participants.
 
Session format: Think tank (75 mins) [read about the different session types]
 
Abstract:Last year’s goldfish bowl on this topic was primarily concerned with whether or not Distributed Workforces were a good idea and if so, how to make them work. It produced a good set of rationales for having them, as well as a number of issues and potential solutions (notes available at: /cgi-bin/wiki.pl/?DistributedWorkforces). This year we would like to take the subject further and explore the technical, social and logistical issues associated with running or participating in a distributed workforce and propose some technical, social, organizational and process solutions to ensure that a distributed workforce is both effective and pleasant for its participants.
 
Audience background:Anyone who has worked in a distributed workforce or is interested in the topic.
 
Benefits of participating:By the end of the session participants will have gained effective and practical ideas about how to manage and participate in distribute workforces. They may also gain more insight into the pitfalls of working in a distributed workforce.
 
Materials provided:Last year's session outputs; additional articles and research as backup
 
Process:The process will follow typical think tank guidelines. We’ll divide the group up based on some interesting aspect of the collective (eg height, accent, type of job), review the output of last year’s goldfish bowl, and then set the teams to defining specific issues of interest to them. At that point, we will have them settle in and try to come up with solutions (technical, social, process or a combination).
 
Detailed timetable:
 
Outputs:Web page summarizing issues and potential solution sets, possibly with links to existing technologies.
 
History:This is a continuation of last year's fish bowl.
 
Presenters
1. Laura Hill
Sun Microsystems
2. Bernard Horan
Sun Microsystems
3.