What's the best way to manage a team in different timezones?
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Don't take for granted the small details when managing a globally dispersed team. Local holidays, lunch time, usual time kids get back from school, etc. If you show real interest and try to ringfence these hours to your team members they will appreciate it. Everyone working in different time zones puts a natural effort to make it work, when management does the same it has great impact in culture.
I have team members working in 4 different time zones and what works best for us is to ensure we have clear understanding of work schedules. We do our best to schedule meetings at ideal times whenever possible to gain higher participation and engagement. This flexibility has helped individuals feel part of the team while working a schedule that works for them while meeting all business needs.
Its really important to establish early in the relationship how best to connect, and that would include best days and times to do so, preferred modes of communication, and aligning on what and how best to escalate issues at appropriate stages. This would also mean taking an interest in the team's collective and also current life-stage and taking that into account allows each person to feel considered and included.
Having an agenda that is relevant and meaningful is also critical, and creating a space for each person to have a voice and opinion goes a long way.
Establishing communal meeting times and personal work times up front is so critical; keep the conversation open and recurring, to create the norm and comfort that it's a normal topic to check-in on. Extend LOTS of patience and grace to each other, but also be clear if someone's responsiveness is causing angst for others.