9 Tips for Working With Teams in Different Timezones

Finally, a successful asynchronous collaboration calls for a set of functional tools to seamlessly tie all autonomous teams and operations together. Using a single, multifunctional tool such as Pumble, to streamline diverse conversations and collaborative projects across time zones can increase overall productivity by 30%. Teams operating across time zones require a unique set of functionalities specifically customized to meet the needs of the asynchronous workforce.

First, you need to understand the concept of time zones. Time zones are geographical locations where people experience similar daylight hours at any given time throughout the year. Flexibility is great, but you also want to be able to balance that with coverage. Talk with the members of your team to see if there is a way to maximize both. Perhaps some people on your team don’t mind working late nights or early mornings .

Best practices for working across time zones

“Let your team know you’re available over Slack , and build in ‘air-time’ in your agenda for check-ins or quick chats.” Be mindful of international employees when scheduling meetings. When it comes to quick communication some tools, like Slack, will even give you a notification before or after you send a message stating which timezone your recipient is in. “When you work in different timezones, it’s important to be aware of when you’re sending a message or email,” says Rebecca White, a junior writer for the HubSpot Blog. Meanwhile, if you’re not working in the same country as your broader team, “don’t be afraid to ask for meetings that are outside of others’ timezones.”

• You could even include a reminder telling recipients to convert the indicated time to their local time zones.
• It surprised me when I felt shameful for asking questions in meetings.
• Of course, if you can’t afford to fly your entire team to a location very often, you can turn to virtual team-building events to keep up the team spirit in the meantime.
• As the saying goes in the United States, “Spring forward. Fall back.”

You and your team will benefit and become more empathetic. When you work from a different country, or a different timezone, you need to sit down with your team and communicate what your acceptable working hours are. By opening up and express your working hours, your colleagues may also start expressing their preferences. In the 2021 State of Remote Work report by Buffer over 59%of the people interviewed reported they work with teams who are spread over 2 to 5 timezones.

My 9 Lessons Learned for Remote Success from Across Time Zones

Almost by definition, remote work tends to facilitate isolation among team members, and the matter only gets worse once we add the time zone dimension to the equation. An overwhelming amount of research has been conducted over the past year to analyze the effects of the pandemic-mandated remote work. And the vast majority of the studies came to the same conclusion – flexibility and freedom offered within the approach largely impact productivity in the virtual workplace.

• It becomes easier to manage when course correction is required, and when team members go above and above to reinforce the culture, exemplifying those acts to the rest of the team becomes easier than ever.
• Almost by definition, remote work tends to facilitate isolation among team members, and the matter only gets worse once we add the time zone dimension to the equation.
• Documentation isn’t the only thing you can do with wikis.
• At first, it was an opportunity that was important for me to experience personally.
• Rather than settling for local talent, remote workers provide your firm with access to the top people in the world, regardless of where they are located.
• Pinpoint and resolve your organization’s culture challenges with the latest research and expert guidance.
• By hiring remote workers, you’ll never have to worry about geographical limitations again.

You’ll likely work shifts that you didn’t as an office employee, so prepare a few tricks to stay awake at work. Mention your schedule and preferred communication channels while introducing yourself so that your coworkers know how to reach you. Explain the rare instances wherein it would be acceptable to message even after your shift has ended. Coordinating with individuals in different time zones is tough. To help you manage your workday, we’ll share eight tips for seamless collaboration with overseas partners.

In Google Calendar, set meetings in your client’s time zone to make sure it reflects properly

working across time zones no longer need to be in the same location to collaborate on projects. With these new changes come new challenges to face when you have a global team. We have a few standing methods of making sure these types of communication happen often, including the daily pair call and weekly or biweekly mastermind chats. These chats are normally only 2-3 people maximum, so more often than not it’s possible to find a time that works for everyone across multiple time zones.

To avoid confusion, follow the most commonly used time zone across your team. Although it would be convenient to use your local time zone, your teammates from another state or country might find frequent conversions a hassle. Requiring that your teammates are always available does not create a good company culture and might hurt morale. You can avoid this by minimizing your messaging after hours and being patient if you don’t get an immediate answer. It is likely that a truly great teammate will contact you when they start to work the next day.

Company

To communicate your schedule more effectively, indicate it on your online profiles. Including your office hours in your email signature, work chat profile, LinkedIn account, and Google profile will prevent misunderstandings. However, it is well worth taking the time to have fun as well as talk about work. Calendar searches the open time slots in your connected calendars when you need to schedule a meeting. Adding or removing times and selecting meeting length are customizable options.