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With all of the applications and tools available, time zone differences may cause a lot of confusion among individuals who operate across time zones. Teams working remotely and across time zones lack the spontaneous chats in-office coworkers are accustomed to. The social disconnect can breed various productivity and personal obstacles that could wreak havoc on your organization over time. With all the apps and tools available, the time zone difference can create plenty of confusion among employees working across time zones. Research shows that organizations spend around 15% of their time on meetings. We can only imagine what these numbers mean for distributed teams that need to put extra effort into planning a perfect schedule that won’t disturb the regular work and sleep schedules of the people involved. Asynchronous collaboration is the default workflow globally distributed teams turn to to optimize their processes and overall culture.
Consider making a record of all culture-specific holidays to make sure no meetings or group work sessions are scheduled around those dates. Finally, a successful asynchronous collaboration calls for a set of functional tools to seamlessly tie all autonomous teams and operations together. Using a single, multifunctional tool such as Pumble, to streamline diverse conversations and collaborative projects across time zones can increase overall productivity by 30%. Teams operating across time zones require a unique set of functionalities specifically customized to meet the needs of the asynchronous workforce. When assessing team chat and collaboration apps for your distributed team, look for features that allow flexibility, autonomy, seamless collaboration, and transparent availability status options. To successfully utilize key principles of asynchronous communication to their advantage, distributed teams need to prioritize efficient, written communication. When working on a report, for example, globally distributed teammates won’t necessarily have the opportunity to ping a coworker and get the missing info right away.
Test out split shifts or workdays that cater to different timezones.
A 2020 Statista study shows 73% of respondents reported feeling more efficient working outside the office. A general lack of distractions, in addition to reduced commute time and the overall comfort of the home or other chosen work environment, have made the significant productivity boost possible. And, as the pandemic is dying out, and companies are issuing the return-to-the-office memos, it’s pretty much business working across time zones as usual for teams working across time zones. These benefits aren’t going away with the pandemic for teams operating in international virtual offices. Now this leads me into my next tip, which is really start thinking in multiple time zones. If you’re working with a global team, it’s good to heighten your awareness of what time it is for people in different parts of the world that you’re working with.
Use your instant messaging platform for internal communication as much as possible. Having conversations in public forums builds visibility, which ensures that no one is out of the loop even if they’re not awake when a decision is being made. Try pinning important messages make it easy for team members to sort through a mountain of messages to see what content is most important for them to catch up on. As you’re setting these expectations, anticipate needs or questions and try to answer them upfront so that the recipient doesn’t wind up waiting for your next availability to clarify. Megan Wheeler, leadership trainer at LifeLabs, shares best practices for remote work – including a checklist you can use to optimize the WFH experience. Performance management → Build high‑performing teams with performance reviews, feedback, goal‑tracking & 1‑on‑1s delivered in the flow of work. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
Set one official time zone.
Aside from specifically discussing timezone-related needs and boundaries as needed, you can also mark your standard work hours on a team calendar — while encouraging colleagues to do the same. You can use an online tool like TimeAndDate.com to determine the time zone your colleague is in. You can also try asking them what times they are available during, and when their day starts/ends so you know how much overlap there will be with yours. Asynchronous communication (“async”) is when information is sent at separate times with a delay in between. For example, writing an email, sending a Loom video, or leaving a voice message for someone so they can respond to it whenever works best with their schedule .
- Read on to discover how to beat time zone troubles and lead a strong, streamlined international team.
- At first, the remote workforce offered the perfect way for companies to reduce costs until they realized additional benefits such as global talent and diversity-led innovation.
- In the United States, there’s a three-hour difference between the East and West.
- An overwhelming amount of research has been conducted over the past year to analyze the effects of the pandemic-mandated remote work.
From setting boundaries to keeping the information accessible, these recommendations will help you build a successful, collaborative international team. Communication is critical when it comes to working across time zones.