Claire Sookman

Imagine the following scenario: Your New York travel firm is working with several telecom carriers to upgrade connections for a new online reservations system. The application vendor is in California, and your hotel and airline partners are distributed around the globe. You're having trouble integrating each firm's legacy applications, and the project is weeks behind deadline.

The IT environment tends to be intense, high-pressure and deadline-driven. If a team is not functioning as a cohesive unit, addressing the numerous, complex technical issues in an effective manner will be frustrating at best.

Globalization has changed the nature of how businesses function. What it has not changed are the requirements for success. A dedicated team of skilled employees guided by expert managers is crucial to any corporation. Communication is paramount, more so today than ever before.