With all the silly apps, Time-wasting games, and fake news, technology still has a lot of good to bring to the world. For one, it has improved communication and helped bring together people from around the world. This brought about the advent of global teams.
Global teams are people who work for a single business but are from all over the world. They give the company the advantage of having a broader talent pool, more innovative and unique insights and ideas, and a wider access to the global network. All of which make a direct contribution to the company’s success.
If you’re working with one, you’re lucky. Here’s how you can create and support a thriving global team:
1. Set regular meetings.
Chances are, your global team is working asynchronously. That means team members are working across different time zones. In this case, constant communication is a must in order for your team to run like the well-oiled machine they are designed to be. Communication is essential to collaborative efforts. So, schedule regular team meetings in order to provide direction and guidance for global team members to make sure everyone is on the same page. Make the meeting easy to add to work or personal calendars and make it very easy to access.
2. Use project management tools.
Online project management tools make it easier to see what everyone is working on at any given time. They enable collaboration and can help you and your team organize work. It also has built-in messaging that helps keep everyone updated and able to send help in the form of feedback, references, notes, or other resources.Once you have given your team clear and concise instructions, let them work and trust that they will be able to deliver.
3. Take advantage of instant messaging.
Urgent messages can slip through the cracks in an email. Especially if you are a team that gets hundreds of them a day. For sensitive information, special announcements, company news, and relevant documents, use email. Otherwise, take advantage of instant messaging for urgent requests and important reminders or instructions.
4. Be mindful.
While having the ability to send instant messages at any given time is delightfully convenient, don’t forget that global teams are made up of humans who need sleep and personal time. Be mindful of time zones and off work hours. Make sure that teammates know they can and are expected to reply only during work hours.
On that subject, it’s also good practice to keep up to date with the latest news in your employer’s/employee’s country. Some people might be going through more than the Omicron surge situation. Major weather disturbances, natural calamities, and unstable politics might add an extra challenge to global teams, so make sure to support them during these events.
What’s your experience with working for global teams? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!
Written by Jaie O. TheHelp