10 Best Practices for Working Across Multiple Time Zones
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Editor at - CialishukM Rok is a popular Editor who has been writing online for over 10 years. He has a loyal following of readers who enjoy his...
Rok"s
Editor at - CialishukM Rok is a popular Editor who has been writing online for over 10 years. He has a loyal following of readers who enjoy his...
It becomes easier to manage when course correction is required, and when team members go above and above to reinforce the culture, exemplifying those acts to the rest of the team becomes easier than ever. When you work with a team working across different time zones, there is a possibility that you may face some issues. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of working across different time zones. We use a variety of tools at Buffer, many of which we’ve blogged about before.
Make sure you take careful consideration of everyone’s different availability hours. For instance, if half of your remote team is located in the US and the other half in Europe, you can still have some hours of overlap between the two remote teams. The team that is based in San Francisco could be online from 10 AM to 12 AM, while the team in London is from 6 PM to 8 PM.
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Remote working isn’t automatically a freer way to work—it can be just as stressful as any 9-to-5 job. Teach your remote team to be flexible about time, though, and everyone’s lives will be easier. Plus, you’ll be able to hire the best people from anywhere around the globe. The Couchsurfing team has a similar schedule to make sure everyone’s connected. “We have a bi-monthly full company meeting to make sure we all know we still exist,” writes designer Ben Hanna. At Zapier, we stay connected with our team in a number of ways.
I know, you want to pack sights, restaurants, and activities into every last minute of your trip. Fear of missing out (FOMO) can be a beast when it comes to travel. As a society, we’re so concerned that we might miss out on THE VERY BEST THING EVER that we try to do everything. The fact that your team is dispersed all over the world means that you must pay special attention to keep it working as a cohesive unit.
Common Mistakes When Working With a Dispersed Team
It’s nearly hard to arrange everyone to meet at the same time without inconveniencing someone if you don’t have team members working in overlapping time zones. One person will have to regularly get up too early or stay online too late. That’s why the last important strategy that works for us as a remote team is to get together in person often. At Buffer, we meet somewhere in the world once a year for a weeklong company retreat. We’ll work together throughout the week and enjoy some bonding time with fun group activities, too.
- That’s why the most crucial part of building a remote team is hiring self-directed workers—”managers of one,” as the Basecamp team calls them in their book Rework.
- Try out different collaboration tools to find which work best for you.
- You will know what the local time is if you’re trying to video chat with your coworker in Bali or Paris.
- Sit comfortably, take a deep breath in/out and close your eyes 🙈.
- Neither is Silicon Valley or the city where your company is based.
You can set up a collection of channels for different groups of people and topics of conversation. Settings include public and private channels so you can have some fun open group conversations and more project-specific channels. Some employees have a hard time saying “no.” This applies to work assignments, meetings, and expanding duties. But people who can’t say no to their bosses are at a higher risk of burnout, so it’s important to let your people set boundaries. When scheduling meetings, be vocal that if a time doesn’t work for an employee, they’re welcome to suggest alternatives.
Reach Out to Others if You’re Feeling Isolated
You have the option to chat one-on-one with people and attach pictures, files, and more. It’s a great way to get a conversation going and have a single spot for Q&A and feedback on different ideas. Consider establishing a rule that unless everyone in your team can be together in the same room, every meeting should be held through working remotely in a different time zone video calls to ensure fairness and clarity. Take 5 minutes ✋, close your eyes and pop on a rain soundtrack ☔. Create an imaginary scene of the nature where you’d rather be and explore your created space 🌧️. 5 minutes doesn’t sound like much, but even this small amount can provide a moment of peace and mindfulness ✌️.
Even though traveling can throw a wrench in your daily schedule, try to keep to the same daily routine that you do at home. This includes things like your sleep cycle and exercise routine. Maybe it’s a scented candle, a homemade snack, or a https://remotemode.net/ book that your friend lent you. Having a reminder of home when you’re in a new place can bring a lot of comfort when you’re traveling. When you’re away from home, you’re missing the relationships that you are used to relying on for support.
M Rok is a popular Editor who has been writing online for over 10 years. He has a loyal following of readers who enjoy his distinctive style of Researching. M Rok covers a wide range of topics on his blog, from personal finance to general. He has a knack for writing engaging and thought-provoking posts that get his readers thinking. M Rok is also a talented photographer, and his blog features some of his stunning photos. If you're looking for an interesting read, check out M Rok's blog!
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