NWAEP Seattle - Navigating Virtual Teams Brown Bag

Navigating Virtual Teams

Environmental professionals often work on complex teams made up of many individuals representing multiple disciplines and working at many different companies and locations.  Now, with the explosion of communication and information technologies, such “virtual” teams have become common (if not the norm) in many other industries as well.

Please join us in exploring this world of virtual teams, with an emphasis on teams assembled for complex environmental projects such as linear transportation programs, waterfront development or redevelopment, and environmental remediation efforts. These teams are necessary to complete required environmental documentation such as construction work plans, NEPA/SEPA EAs and EISs, and remedial investigation paperwork.

Discussion topics will include:

• What is a team and what makes a team good or bad?
• What is a virtual team and how do they differ from traditional (in-house) teams?
• What skills to you need to work effectively on a virtual team?
• What skills do you need to effectively manage a virtual team?
• What are the pitfalls of virtual teams, and what tools, tips and techniques work best to avoid them?

This will be an interactive discussion, so please let us know if you would like to participate as a panel member or otherwise contribute to a particular aspect of this complex topic.

Moderators: Josh Jensen, Environmental Planner at Anchor QEA and Steve Hall, independent NEPA consultant at Point Environmental Consulting, Inc.