With more possibilities for working remotely and having teams spread across the world; the globalization of companies, even small ones, has been a growing tendency during the last decades. This brings many great opportunities for all types of business, on the other hand, it also requires that we learn how to manage, collaborate and be productive in a virtual environment and, perhaps, with teammates being scattered around different time zones. So how do we manage this situation? Let’s talk about some key points!
Working across time zones requires organization
In order to successfully manage a team spread across the world, differences in time zones can be an issue. Whether you are organizing tasks, setting due dates, scheduling meetings or determining assignments you will need to be mindful with each and every member of the team. Although this can be challenging, it also brings up new opportunities; for example, if you have a team member that stops working right when another one starts, you can organize their tasks in such a way that their project is always rolling, since whenever one stops the other carries it on. Having all the team members’ time zones listed you can refer to that as a way to make sure you don’t forget about anyone, and there are some great apps for that.
Another aspect to keep in mind is local holidays and Daylight Saving Time. Having a team spread across the globe also means dealing with different cultures. Although sacrifices are needed from everybody’s side when working remotely, being mindful of your team’s local holidays and other necessary adjustments will be appreciated and it will make the work experience more pleasant and inclusive, which makes everyone more productive!
One of the great advantages of working remotely is being free from the traditional 9 to 5 schedules and having more freedom over your own hours. Setting up weekly goals for you and your team members is a good way to guarantee everyone is clear on the tasks that need to be performed. This will also give them the freedom to get organized around it in a way that works for them. Having weekly goals makes it easier to plan projects and complete the tasks associated with the projects in a timely manner. Keep in mind, that things do not always go according to plan, another important component is to review the goals weekly. Make sure you get and give feedback to/from your team on whether or not the weekly goals that you and your team have been setting are appropriate and ask for any improvements that can be made.
Create a team environment
Just because a team member isn’t physically at the workplace his\her presence should never be ignored or lessened in any way. Everyone on the team should have a voice and be able to express their opinions and insights. You need to pay extra attention to those who participate in meetings or daily activities through phone or video conference, in order to make sure no “presence disparity” is generated. Talk to your team about it, make sure everyone is comfortable and there is a joint effort to give equal attention to all teammates.
Once you’ve established a working flow and your team is functioning properly you need to get used to the fact you can’t control everything that’s going on 100% of the time. It’s easy to get caught up on the need to supervise everything all the time, but you need to learn to trust your team. Organize the schedule, set up the goals, keep in contact with your team members, but let them do their work and trust that while you are sleeping, eating or spending time with your family your business won’t spiral down just because you’re not there 24\7.
As much as working remotely has its advantages, human contact is part of our nature and no matter how good video conferences and virtual workspaces might get it’s never the same as in-person encounters. So what can you do if you feel that the lack of in-person contact is affecting your team’s productivity? Well, fly them in!! Gather your whole team for a workshop or other group activity, that can be done once a year or on special occasions, it’s exciting to have a break from the routine and helps to create a sense of community that might not be so strong when no one ever sees each other.
Be clear on expectations
Communication is a key aspect of any relationship, that includes professional ones. When you have people working remotely you need to pay close attention to whether or not your communication methods are being effective and see if you need to make any adjustments. Video call and messaging programs that adjust to your team’s needs are great for keeping real-time communication going. Slack, for example, is an instant messaging and collaboration tool that allows teams to have discussions, private messages, share files and much more.
Remember, although work comes first, many times working remotely can get lonely and creating a sense of community and belonging increases effectiveness and productivity. That being said, you should also encourage your team members to have fun conversations and share their life experiences, especially if they are in totally different countries and it might not come as naturally as if you were all in the same room!
When it comes to assigning responsibilities it should be made very clear to everyone who should be doing what. Since you won’t be always available for all employees all the time it’s important that tasks, goals and due dates are well established and communicated so everyone can take their responsibilities and get their part done.
Does everyone need to work during the same hours, or is it acceptable for people to work in their own time zone? Well, you will need to analyse the specific needs of your business, it’s surely useful to have at least a couple of meetings with participation of all (or almost all) teammates. But part of the beauty of having a team spread across different time zones is having the possibility for your company to work around the clock. For that, it is very important to get a handle of asynchronous communication. Tools like Google Docs, Trello, and Hackpad allow teammates to collaborate on a project at their own pace without the team losing track of what’s been and what needs to be done. Ultimately, that means scattered teammates are able to participate in group projects no matter their time zone.
Virtual workplace
There are a number of project management tools that can help you create this virtual workspace to guarantee the work flow within your business without having your employees in the same room everyday.
Clickup is a straightforward, user-friendly solution made for any business. It allows you to organize and assign your business projects, as well as tasks and subtasks, to do lists, goals and many other features.
Asana is another task management system that allows you to create tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates for completion, comment and share relevant documents. When compared to more complex project management tools such as Trello it is a relatively easy to use program and is aimed at a wide range of business professionals.
Trello is an online collaboration tool tjat is based on the Kanban system of project and task management. Kanban is a Japanese word that roughly translates to “card,” “sign,” or “billboard”. Trello uses boards, lists, and cards to create a simpler visual system of project management.
Commit to regular meetings
Having meetings is important, and video conference programs are the way to go when you have remote employees. Zoom is a cloud based service that can be used for simple online meetings, content sharing, and video conferencing. Work with your team members to create a meeting schedule that works best for everyone. Since you’ll be dealing with different time zones, chances are there isn’t a perfect time for everyone. It is best to adjust the meetings so that the same team members aren’t always the ones being disregarded, or better yet, find a time where everyone can attend even if that is an evening for some and an early morning for others. If that isn’t possible, you can try a rotating schedule for the meetings. Establish a regular agenda so you and all team members can get organized around it and commit to the meetings.
Meetings can easily end up going out off topic and wasting lots of time on unnecessary matters. Not having everyone in the same room can increase this problem, internet connection issues, who gets to talk when, parallel talks and so on. It is important to have one person lead the meeting to keep everyone on topic. If you are struggling to coordinate your team, have successful meetings and handle your growing business you might want to consider hiring an OBM (Online Business Manager). An OBM, in traditional business terms, is the COO (Chief Operating Officer) – the right hand partner to the business owner (CEO). This is the person responsible for developing ways to help the company as a whole operate more efficiently. An OBM ensures team members have the tools and training they need to keep the company running at full steam. In that sense an OBM would be the best person to coordinate and keep those meetings in track, since they get to know your team and understand what each team member is working on. You won’t have to spend your time coordinating the meeting which means you can focus on gathering ideas, insights and making the best of your team’s capabilities. You can go here if you are interested in finding out if I am the right kind of OBM for you!!
