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8 tips for managing a globally distributed team

Regardless of the industry you’re in, leading global teams is an essential skill-set for all managers today. Read on to find 8 tips to help you lead your distributed team towards growth and productivity.

It’s 2022, and there is no denying that there are numerous benefits to having a distributed workforce. From access to a wide pool of highly skilled talent, to a direct reduction in operational costs – going global is a good idea for companies of all sizes.

However, managing a global workforce is not without its challenges. The lack of in-person communication can often lead to disconnects within the team, making team members feel alienated and unappreciated. Add to that the difficulties of working with multiple time zones and cultural backgrounds, and you know that leading a distributed team is no child’s play. Even the most seasoned of managers are bound to face difficulties.

Thankfully, a combination of the right people, processes and tools can help managers of distributed teams tackle any difficulty and lead their distributed tech teams to growth and productivity. 

Hire the right people

The first step towards managing global teams is to choose the right team members. Remember that you will no longer be able to stroll over to a team member’s desk to check-in on their progress. When recruiting for your distributed team, try to look for people who are 

  • Self starters: A key component of being an effective remote worker is self-sufficiency and the ability to take on projects without needing constant management and oversight. Self starters are professionals who want to learn new skills and take on new challenges without being told what to do by their managers or bosses. 
  • Effective communicators: Whether it’s during the stages of planning and ideation, or execution and implementation, clear communication maximizes productivity and reduces turnaround time. 
  • Problem solvers: Members of your team will often be required to adopt new technology or improvise a quick solution to ensure smooth functioning. Look for candidates who show creative and strategic thinking.
  • Good at time management: The stop and start nature of remote work demands extreme punctuality and time management. It is important to find individuals who will be able to understand which tasks are necessary and prioritise those.

Set effective goals

The transition to location independent work, although necessary, may not always be easy. It is natural for team members to struggle with initial uncertainty and confusion, and the best way to lead global virtual teams is by setting the right goals and expectations. 

Set effective long-term and short-term goals, and communicate these clearly with your team members to get buy-in. Setting objectives for specific periods of time – weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly, is a great way to help distributed teams keep on pace. Having a common written standard will make it easier for your team to follow these goals. 

Develop a working structure

One of the most important parts of setting up a physical office is setting up the necessary infrastructure, from electricity and civic amenities, to work desks, conference rooms, telephones and Wi-Fi routers. Setting up your distributed office is no different – with the slight difference of putting in place the right working structure and tools that will help your team. 

Establish a working structure that clarifies each aspect of daily functioning, like the tools that you will be using, the different methods of communication, working hours and availability, vacation and leave policy. 

One of the best ways to augment the performance of your team is by supplying them with the right tools and procedures. Put in place an effective work structure by demarcating communication channels, formulating standard operating procedures and documenting everything. GitLab’s Remote Manifesto is a great example of how an effective working structure can help distributed teams function like a well oiled machine.

Champion asynchronous communication 

Working with multiple time zones is a problem inherent to managing distributed teams. Asynchronous communication solves this by enabling every member of your team to work according to their own schedules. By eliminating the pressure to respond immediately and reducing interruptions, it leads to increased productivity and an increased level of control over the workday. 

However, extracting the complete potential of asynchronous communication requires a little bit of homework. To begin with, team leaders must ensure that all relevant details are stored at a central place, available to every stakeholder in the project. Similarly, channels of communication should be divided  into synchronous and asynchronous according to urgency and importance.

Empower local leaders 

As the leader of a distributed team, it is important to understand that your team members are working from multiple geographical locations, which is bound to result in differences of cultural backgrounds and time zones. This is especially true for large multinational companies having bases in multiple countries.

In such cases, taking the help of local leaders across various locations can help you effectively manage multiple distributed teams. Empowering regional leaders helps establish a strong local foundation, creating a hierarchy of leadership when working with multiple international teams. Today, companies like Airbnb, Walmart and Target are establishing their global capability centres (GCCs) as independent, fully-functional units within themselves with the help of strong local leadership. Empowering regional leaders to facilitate the daily operations helps global leaders concentrate on the bigger picture. 

Listen & iterate 

The importance of effective, two-way communication cannot be overemphasized when it comes to distributed teams. Working in co-located offices meant that managers had visual cues on how their team members were feeling; in the absence of the same, they now need to work harder to gauge the pulse of the team.  

Be it through 1:1 meetings, weekly brainstorming sessions, surveys or just general check-ins, leaders of distributed teams must continuously seek feedback and look for ways to implement it. From setting goals and deciding project timelines, to the adoption of new operating procedures and tools – when employees feel heard, it has a direct impact on their levels of engagement and satisfaction. 

Include rituals and Ceremonies 

According to this survey by Buffer, the top two challenges faced by remote workers include “barriers to communication & collaboration” and “loneliness”. For employees at co-located offices, occasions like birthdays and cultural celebrations are often the times when a large chunk of bonds are formed. For globally distributed teams, this occurs through shared rituals, practices and ceremonies. 

Shared team rituals help foster trust between team members and make them feel like they are part of something special. Fun Friday activities, virtual happy hours, or any other such team bonding rituals are crucial to forming interpersonal bonds and directly impact team dynamics. Managers can start with something as simple as a monthly team lunch where all members share the same menu. 

Recognize your team members

82% of employees consider recognition as an important part of their happiness at work. Rewarding and recognizing your team members is a good idea universally, and this applies squarely to dispersed teams as well. The lack of interpersonal interaction is often the biggest challenge faced by most distributed teams. Having a culture of appreciation helps employees feel valued, directly impacting employee engagement and consequently, retention. 

While verbal recognition is a good start, team leaders today have access to a wide range of recognition softwares and applications created specifically for globally distributed teams. Applications like Nectar, Bonusly and HeyTaco can be integrated directly with Slack.

 

Worldwide, the percentage of people working remotely has risen from 17% in 2019 to 32% in 2021. Additionally, 73% of all departments are expected to have remote workers by 2028. Regardless of the industry you’re in, leading global teams is an essential skill-set for all managers today. 

At Talent500, we understand that the transition to location independent working is a multi-layered process involving numerous stakeholders and factors. Our team of experts and network of highly skilled professionals are here to help you build your global team in over 50 countries. Ready to take the first step? Set up a consultation with our team here.

 

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Vikram Ahuja

Vikram Ahuja

A serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Talent500. Enthusiastically strives to expand businesses across multiple domains by bringing creativity to the table. Zealous about pursuing ventures at the intersection of art, technology, and business. An award-winning short film-maker, and well-traveled theatre-performer. Took part in Google's global Daydream Impact program, which promoted the use of Virtual Reality for impact-based stories.

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