Top 5 tips for managing teams across different time zones

In many organizations it’s the habit to schedule meetings that last exactly one hour. This is usually because the Outlook Calendar and the internal room booking system both support this behavior. In fact, very few meetings require exactly one hour of everyone’s time.

By arming your team with the right tools, you can be sure that the team’s productivity will increase no matter the location of each one is. If you currently have a team member who is having a hard time speaking the common language that the team is using, working across time zones then try offering language courses to them. You can also try getting a translator for the meantime to make things a lot easier for them. Request a review and our award-winning team will send you a 15-minute video audit of your website and marketing.

Tips for International Teams Working Across Different Time Zones

Recognize others for their work or assistance no matter what level they are in the business. Here’s why communication really matters when you’re working in a multi-cultural environment. As we’ve mentioned previously, we built a Slack standup botthat enables our own team to run asynchronous standups inside Slack. From our experience, even 15 minutes could be too much for some teams. For example, a 4-person team may get through a standup in 5 minutes instead of 15.

This can include addressing ways to effectively project management, through to the day-to-day challenges of sharing schedules and working interdependently, sharing documents and organising content. At PRMA Consulting, at least 20% of our team are home-based, and a substantial number more divide their time regularly between office and home working. If you avoid the mistakes above and follow best practices, standups can transform from a nuisance to a productive way to get everyone on the same page. Many teams we’ve spoken to are diligent about staying on track, and their standup meetings usually last less than 10 mins. They don’t engage in side discussions that aren’t relevant to anyone on the team.

Logistics Mistakes to Avoid If You’re Starting in Ecommerce

People love to see and be up to date with what’s going on in the business. If you are in an executive or high-level management position, this point cannot be stressed enough. Your team needs to see your existence, your presence, and receive updates on company projects and milestones. Even if by teleconference at first until you can make your way across the seas to meet them in person.

• Since most standups are held in the morning, it’s especially important to get through them quickly because many engineers feel most productive early in the day.
• Whether it is a regular email blast, a shared Slack channel or an online HR platform, be sure to keep your staff regularly updated.
• Discussing things that are not related to other people’s work in any way.
• Due to this, loneliness is one of the leading challenges remote workers face.
• Meetings should be thought of as essential collaborative opportunities.