Working with Globally Distributed Teams
Working with a globally distributed team has many advantages, well beyond productivity. Here are some lessons learned while working with a few different teams.
Relationship Goals
Like any relationship, working with team members across the globe takes work and requires attention to your partners. The benefits of these partnerships are much more than just working with other experts who have a similar interest in moving the project forward. When a global team works well together, team members benefit not only professionally but personally as well.
A team is not just a group of anonymous individuals who show up, put in work and then clock out. Each person is unique, providing a valuable, non-renewable resource to your project: Their time. Surely there are people who can’t wait to go to work and exchange their time for money. For the rest of us, we value more than the funds transfer (Let’s be honest, money is the motivator) and, while maybe not actively seeking it, we value the knowledge we get from new experiences and the relationships that can be formed while engaged in the daily “battle.” Here are some important points and lessons learned while working with different global teams.
Learn the Culture
This is a very important key to link the next two points together. By understanding some of the nuances of your team members culture, you will learn how to better communicate as well as how to better execute the tasks at hand. Here are just a few examples of that.
While working with team members in Germany and some Eastern European countries, some people were very direct in their statements. “Paul is not working hard enough. This task could be completed in one day.” By knowing in advance that some people from that region are simply direct in their communication and that these statements are not meant to be hurtful, it can lessen the sting to someone from a culture that is not used to such pointed statements.
In Indian culture, it is common to start a conversation by checking in first. “Good Morning, Rakesh! How was your weekend?” After engaging in that ice-breaker, the conversation about work can continue as expected.
It is common in American culture to just jump right into the subject when sending a Slack/Teams/etc. message. “Vijay, do you have the spreadsheet with the numbers?” It would not be unexpected for Vijay to reply with, “Hello, Alex. How are you?” Americans can also be rather sensitive to the very direct statements from someone from a direct culture. It is possible they would feel offended in hearing they are not meeting expectations, even if it is true.
Communication
A relationship cannot function successfully without communication just as a team cannot achieve focused success without effectively communicating goals, needs and expectations.
Set team expectations at the beginning. Knowing the goals, and what processes are expected to be followed to achieve goals, will make the team more comfortable in their role.
Document these expectations. It is not possible to remember every process, especially if the tasks are constantly evolving. It’s ok to modify expectations if the team is finding some processes are not working.
Respect the Timezone. Global teams are spread across many timezones. Schedule meetings as early as can possibly accommodate all teammates. This can be difficult sometimes, but respecting a person’s time is very important.
Empower your team to ask for help. Experience has shown that some cultures may not be as comfortable asking for help, as it reveals a person may not be as strong in their skill as advertised. This only leads to a breakdown in communication as well as reduces project velocity. Remove this barrier, provide tools for private communication and encourage your team to work together. Remember, it is The Team vs. The Problem, not the team that is the problem.
Positive Affirmation. Simply showing up and talking about work stuff is fine, but it is just fine. Re-affirming to the team when they are doing good work is motivation. Even when the team is struggling, celebrate the small wins. People are motivated when they feel value in the work they are doing.
Trust
It is not possible to have a functional relationship or effective communication without Trust. You have to trust your team to complete to task. Trust is earned and on a team, opportunities have to be given to earn that trust. This means more than just completing tasks in a timely manner. Broken trust can cause long lasting damage to a team.
Respect. Treat your teammates the same way you would like to be treated. Belittling and gossip only creates a divide amongst the team. Listen to your other team members and try to understand their position. Respect their time and efforts.
Benefit of the Doubt. This goes directly hand-in-hand with trust. You may not be close personally with a team member, but setting aside doubt and letting your team prove they can successfully complete tasks will only solidify that trust.
Be Vulnerable. Being vulnerable can be uncomfortable. No one wants to be judged negatively. Empower the team to ask for help. Also, empower your team to speak up. If they are unsure that a process is going to be successful, create a space where they can vocalize that. Create a safe space to be vulnerable. Recently a team member was lost to Covid. This was very hard on the team, as they had grown close. Allow a space where people can talk about their feelings and their needs. Be understanding and empathetic to work and personal needs.
Take Risks Together. Being vulnerable doesn’t always mean talking about feelings. This can also mean engaging in a joint effort to try something new and different. Whether successful or not, the bond created while working towards something new can be rewarding. You can learn a lot about a team that is will to succeed and/or fail together.
Do Something Fun
Work doesn’t always have to be a grind. That grind can really put burden and stress on a team, resulting in burnout. Try something different for a change. One team had an End of Sprint Fun Activity that was 30 minutes to an hour long. One activity was to submit a baby picture of themselves and the rest of the team try to guess who it was. One activity was to have the entire team draw a picture of something only by having one team member describe shapes. Sometimes you can learn a lot by just letting people talk about their hobbies, interests or family.
Conclusion
Working on a globally distributed team can be successful and rewarding, as well as foster some long term relationships. Learning new cultures, new ways of doing things and developing trust along the way, while successfully navigating the workplace environment, will last well beyond the project.
Please feel free to comment on your experiences working with a global team, other cultural nuances you’ve learned that might help someone new to this new world, and anything else you think would make a team’s experience more successful.
