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- Bonus tip: Decide which time zone to use.
- Use the world clock in your phone as a quick reference tool for time zones
- Plot Out Team Members’ Locations on a Map
- Work From Home Office Upgrades For Remote Work
- Project management across time zones: 7 lessons
- Regularly check in with your people
- – Building Blocks of Hybrid Collaboration
For example, I use a lot of Google Sheets that anyone within the team can input on. They allow me to see at a glance what’s on track, what’s ahead of schedule, and anything that might be falling behind and need extra attention. Be aware of regional slang or terms that people who don’t share your native language might not understand. You should also avoid using buzzwords and instead say exactly what you mean, as precisely as you can. IT Asset Management Organize inventory by region, follow real-time status updates, review product history, and keep track of depreciation.
When you work from the same office, there’s no need to wait for a conference call or meeting to start communicating. However, connecting with a distributed team requires more effort. People who communicate asynchronously must write clear, complete, and concise messages. They should have everything they require to begin a task when working remotely or request as soon as possible.
Bonus tip: Decide which time zone to use.
In fact, one prediction by Gartner shows that 75% of companies employing diverse decision-making teams can expect to outperform their business objectives in 2022. Moreover, one McKinsey study found that the more ethnically and racially https://remotemode.net/ diverse companies outperform their less diverse peers by 36% when it comes to financial targets. An asynchronous-first team communication style can be very beneficial for remote teams working on projects across different time zones.
This one seems obvious, but it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to time zones. When you first create a Microsoft Teams account, you’ll be asked to set your time zone. This is so that Teams can correctly display the time for events and messages. Keep in mind that this feature only works for meeting invites. If you need to convert time zones for other purposes, you’ll need to use a separate tool.
Use the world clock in your phone as a quick reference tool for time zones
Use this article as your guide to overcome these challenges and you’ll be well on your way to building strong relationships across time zones. 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.
- In these tools, we can log what we’ve done, what we’re doing or questions and comments we have and know that other team members can read and comment later on their own schedule.
- Be aware of other remote employees’ work situations, time zones, and physical settings.
- Everyone will have everything they need to get up and running as soon as they sign in for the day, regardless of what time it is.
- That might mean you can move to a city where it’s easier to start a family, or extend your “vacation” to a few months on the beach each year.
- When you can’t rely on synchronous communication, you need to be able to continue working when help could be a day or two away.
- You might find that there’s no perfect time for your team, but at least you’ll find options that aren’t excruciating.
How does one make sure to reap all the benefits and suffer no drawbacks of working across time zones? Diversity and inclusion drive innovation and positively impact overall business targets within remote companies that span across time zones. Understandably, this approach largely supports innovation and ultimately leads to more profit in the long run.
Plot Out Team Members’ Locations on a Map
Even though we’ve tried to reinvent time zones, we still can’t agree on a universal system. Meetings, and other forms of synchronous communication, have their place. Even the most introverted remote workers need social interaction, humans just aren’t designed for solitude. This leads to a better run company, less stress, and working remotely in a different time zone higher quality work. Not to mention that if all time zones are covered, then the company can serve its customers 24/7 without the need for late-night shifts. Diverse teams made up of remote team members from around the world, especially in management positions, escape local echo chambers and build truly world-class products.
How do you manage meetings in different time zones?
- Check when (and if) your teammates' work schedules overlap.
- Rotate recurring meeting times.
- Record the meeting.
- Set an agenda and ask for questions in advance.
- Take the follow-up conversation to Slack.
This is especially hard if you tend to move around from city to city or country to country, or if you just moved, and crossed time zones, like from Florida to Texas, for example. We’ve noted time zone converters like World Time Buddy in our list of the best apps for travelers and remote workers because it is so crucial. Is considering time zones as important as everyone says it is, when planning a call among clients, vendors, professional contacts and colleagues? Let’s check out all the tips, tricks and hacks that can make calculating time zones a breeze. Doing so will help to close any cultural communication gaps, supporting a respectful working culture. If there are different time zones represented within the discussion, try to be as precise as possible regarding times and dates.
Work From Home Office Upgrades For Remote Work
It’s also helpful to let your team members know your work hours and when you are available for check-ins and brief chats. When working with teammates in different time zones, respecting their working hours is vital. Be mindful of the time differences and avoid scheduling meetings at odd hours. If you’re in a different time zone, don’t expect people to be available during your working hours. Be patient while waiting for responses, and go back to your communication guidelines for best practices. Project management tools like Asana and Trello help teams stay organized, on track, and accountable when working on projects with remote colleagues in different time zones.
How do you communicate across time zones?
Google Calendar, Slack, email, and Zoom are tools that help us stay connected across offices. By being aware of times and locations and good communication, companies can become global workforces, working together no matter where they are.