Currently, I work as part of two global teams for multiple brands. The first consists of a team operating from the UAE, Singapore, and India. Whereas the second team consists of a team operating from France, UAE, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Global teams are becoming increasingly prevalent in the world today, which means more and diverse challenges for those who work with them. It’s important that we do all of our best to understand each other through language barriers or time differences so everyone can get their job done as effectively as possible!
Whether you’re in a different time zone or on opposite sides of the world, it’s important to make sure your team stays productive. Here are some tips for creating an environment where people feel happy and fulfilled working together no matter where they are!
Keep A Global Mindset
We all know that different countries and cultures can have a big impact on how things work. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re working with people from other parts of the world- even if they speak your native language! Being globally aware will help make sure there aren’t any misunderstandings or miscommunications between the team.
Global business savvy is not just about being able to work in multiple countries, it’s also a mindset. It requires intellectual capital (the knowledge of how things operate globally), psychological courage, and social skills that can help you navigate different cultures on your quest for adventure abroad or at home with colleagues from around the world!
The best way to develop this mindset is through working in teams with people from different backgrounds. This will help you become a better global team player who can tackle any challenge head-on.
Respect Working Hours
When you’re working in a global team, chances are your colleagues live in different time zones. You’ll probably find that they also observe different public holidays and may not be available during certain parts of their day. Here, we list some tips on how you can keep track of this, to ensure that you respect your colleagues’ office hours:
- Keep note of your teammates’ different time zones! You want to be able to contact each other during normal business hours, so set up a World Clock widget on your laptop in accordance with where the team is based. This is a great way to keep track of what the time is in different locations.
- It’s also important that everyone knows about upcoming holidays – send out notifications beforehand and work on setting up a team shared calendar.
- Use email scheduling. Now, this is a handy trick to use not just with your colleagues but also with clients. Gmail now allows you to schedule emails, so you can use this feature to make sure that an email goes out during office hours.
Reduce Cultural Nuances
The words we use every day can have an impact on how well our team members communicate with one another. For example, when someone says they need a project completed “from soup to nuts,” you might think they are asking for all of the ingredients and instructions rather than wanting it done thoroughly down through every last detail possible – even if your translation isn’t perfect!
Language is important and should not be taken lightly. If you want your message to come across as genuine, use words that have meaning for everyone who hears them so no one feels left out or confused about what you’re trying to say.
Small Details Matter
When you bring people from different cultural backgrounds, it’s likely we’ll encounter first names and surnames that are new. So invest some time in learning how to correctly spell these out loud so your team can understand them better! Paying attention will also help build relationships with colleagues – no matter their heritage or language preferences – and improve everyone’s morale as well. If unsure of what sounds correct for a certain name (or any other pronunciation), don’t be afraid to ask those individuals beforehand; they’ll appreciate all effort put forth by doing so.
Meetings Should be Visual
When it comes to virtual meetings, more visual aspects are key. I constantly find myself using Skype, Teams, or Zoom for my virtual meetings, and cam on is always essential. This is especially useful when you have global teams who might not get along or know how to best communicate effectively outside of an online setting; this way leaders will be able to create rapport quickly while also limiting miscommunications between parties.
Give Recognition
An Intern just joined my team today and I praised their success in nailing their internship and receiving a job offer. I did so, by calling for a team meeting in the morning and congratulating them in front of their new colleagues.
Praise people in different ways to suit their needs. Some may prefer private gestures while others want public recognition and rewards for a job well done. That being said, some colleagues or employees might prefer a simple “well done.”
