By Denise Taylor, Advocacy Consultant, Referential Inc.
Connect with Denise on LinkedIn

In 2021 according to Statista, there were estimated to be approximately 333 million companies worldwide employing 3.32 billion people. An increasing number of these businesses are extending a global presence, and a growing global workforce. As a result, our need to understand and work better together is more important than ever.

Here are just a few tips from our global team to think about when establishing or working with your global team:

1- Establish a Schedule That Works For Everyone

With team members in different time zones, it is difficult to find the right time slot for optimal communication. Chat with the individual team members to see which ones might be open to an early or late call and look to set a time that maximizes attendance. Record the calls for those that cannot attend and be open to having the occasional call at a time that they can join. Set a cadence of a weekly or monthly meetings to help set the tone of knowledge-sharing among the team.

2- Be Mindful of Office Time

Don’t expect colleagues to answer an instant message as soon as you send it; or better still, schedule it to be delivered when they are within working hours. Remember: what is 10 am for you could easily be 3 am for a teammate. Know each person’s times zones and be respectful.

3- Embrace Cultural Differences

Global teams are comprised of different nationalities, religions, and backgrounds. Keep an open dialog and seek to learn and understand local customs and cultures. Earning respect and building rapport are very much earned and cannot be demanded. Team meetings can be used for members to share information about their cultures to help cross-team education and understanding.

4- Work Smarter, Not Harder

Different time zones, while difficult, can provide certain advantages. If a project has a hard deadline, assemble a team across multiple time zones such that the project can be passed from one to another to be progressed around the clock. This approach can be very effective and good at uniting the global team.

5- Encourage Collaboration

Make the most of a teams’ diversity. Collaboration can assist with misunderstandings caused by social distancing among team, gaps in communication, and regional process differences. Take the time to learn from one another- according to a study by Harvard Business Review, when adapting to new cultural environments, a savvy leader will avoid making assumptions about what behaviors mean. Take a step back, watch, and listen. Someone who says: “Yes, I can do this” in one place can mean they’re willing and able to do what you asked. Somewhere else the same statement may simply signal that they wants to try—not that they’re confident of success. Before drawing conclusions, its ok to ask a lot of questions.

This graphic provides an example of disconnect with global teams that need to be addressed before starting each project.

6- Use Technology For Advantage

Leverage technology to improve communication. Perhaps set up an instant messaging channel for the team, utilize a video conferencing tool for team meetings so members can see one another, and deploy a knowledge-sharing database to enable everyone to pool successful resources for instant access.

By implementing these steps, we hope that you can build a strong global team. We are very proud of ours; we have one week a year where we gather in-person at an ‘All-Hands’ to live, work and play together and we always come away from that week feeling closer than ever with each other. Please share your tips for building a global team!

Meet the Author: Denise Taylor

Denise Taylor came to Referential with a unique background in business and marketing and has worked at both small and large software firms, including running her own business. Prior to Referential, she was a Marketing Operations Manager at RO Innovation (now part of Upland Software) and was part of the team that launched an installed-base awards program for customer advocacy programs. A constant champion for the promotion of the Voice of the Customer through various channels, she was a key player in developing RO Innovation’s own advocacy program. Connect with Denise on LinkedIn

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