For example, if one team member is working on a project in a different time zone and has a question, they may use the chat app to connect with anyone else who may be up. When team members in a single time zone are working while others are sleeping, collaboration tools help everyone stay on top of what has been done and what tasks remain. The easiest way for a company to do this is to create a shared working remotely in a different time zone document on a service like Google Drive that links to all the recordings of all the team’s meetings. If your company is using specialized project management software, it may also have a convenient place to link to these recordings. Working with a distributed team can be challenging at first because it’s difficult to build the kind of rapport that comes naturally when working in an office setting.
By the time they read your second message and take action, an entire day (or more!) could have passed without them doing anything. Respect, empathy, and inclusion are essential for building trust, cultivating a positive and productive work environment, and working together effectively when collaborating across time zones. If you are working with people in many regions and time zones, you can record sessions for employees to view later.
How to Effectively Manage Time Zone Differences While Working with Remote Teams
Synchronous communication, or real-time communication between teams, is still necessary for team development, bonding, brainstorming, and celebrating project achievements. Teams exchange messages with one other without expecting a response right away. Employees can give each response the time and attention it deserves when they take a break to check their messages. Employees may work independently, uninterrupted, and more productively as a result of this. A popular communication tool like Slack will help you with its features like emojis and others.
Give us a few details and one of our business communications experts will reach out to answer all of your questions about our lineup of devices and our phone service. Cisco WebEx is another video conferencing software platform that is popular. The software can follow the speaker to make it easier to follow along with a conversation. By organizing ahead of time, you’ll be able to maximize the time of all of the attendees no matter where they are located and it will help keep the engagement levels up during the meeting. If you are organizing the meeting, make sure that you have an agenda and give everyone a heads up on what to expect and what they need to bring to the table.
Con: There’s less motivation to stay connected
In addition to following those best practices, it’s good to take inventory of the tools, apps, and software programs available to the team. Here are a few favorites of the teams that have been successfully working across time zones for a while. Visuals can help a lot when people are trying to understand the time differences. Have some fun with Photoshop or Canva and create a map that shows where everyone on your team is.
- “That means that the remote person has a lot of autonomy and any problems that arise can be solved by either leaving messages on Slack/email or syncing up for a couple of hours one day.”
- By organizing ahead of time, you’ll be able to maximize the time of all of the attendees no matter where they are located and it will help keep the engagement levels up during the meeting.
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Maintain order and understand your zones
Make use of Google Calendar
Regularly and clearly communicate
Plan your day appropriately. - One of the reasons a remote company like Turing’s culture is robust and our team members are so united is due to the clear nature of our principles.
- Trello, Basecamp, and Asana are project management tools that keep track of what everyone is working on as it progresses through the pipeline.
- When working with teams in different time zones, the most important thing to remember is to be mindful, empathic, and courteous.
Although virtual communication is essential, occasional in-person or virtual team get-togethers can foster stronger connections and build camaraderie. These gatherings provide an opportunity for team members to bond and collaborate in a more relaxed setting. Creating clear remote work policies is crucial to set expectations for communication methods, response times, and work-hour flexibility. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and helps maintain a healthy work-life balance.