Quality + Engineering – our company – is a virtual organization. What do I mean? We pull professionals together to do different jobs. We pull engineers to together to work on a project with a firm beginning and hard ending. We’re seeing more virtual organizations and you’ll be working for one soon.
What is a virtual organization? The virtual organization is an amorphous entity that delivers products or services to customers with the external appearance of a single company. A core group usually originates the idea and pulls resources together to actualize the idea. Examples of virtual organizations include special project teams, supplier partnerships, global consulting organizations, franchising, start-ups, joint ventures, rock bands on the road, small businesses, and telecommuting.
In a virtual team, everyone is an expert. Value-added capabilities are brought in. Synergies arise. The output is greater than the sum of the parts. Each person evolves into a consultant with marketable skills that are contracted to the virtual entity.
What pulls the virtual organization together is synergy – the awareness that the sum of skills and knowledge is greater than the individual parts. To make the virtual organization work, a person brings something of value to the table. It may be money, contacts, special knowledge, or other resources. When the project is over, the virtual group may attempt another project or it may disband. Virtual organization benefits include improved flexibility and lower overhead.
Virtual organizations and teams are somewhat new but will become more prevalent as small companies, and yes even individuals, develop state of the art, ‘world class’ technologies, skills, capabilities, information, or other resources.
Life Lesson Earned: Be ready to work in a virtual organization or virtual team.