Using them is also an effective way to share meeting notes, create consensus and gather feedback. As a result of creating a wiki, you’ll be able to create transparency and stimulate a continuous flow of ideas and feedback. You can, however, overcome these challenges with the right tools and approaches. At Crossover, we believe everyone can start enjoying the benefits of being more productive, more creative, and having more focus by working async. By setting up and following a system that allows every team member to do their part appropriately, without rush, and with the right time for accountability and feedback.
In other words, communicate, and make sure everyone knows what you’re working on. The ability to see what others are saying not only gives you insight to how others are working—something you might glean by working together—but it also enables the more fun aspects of working in a team. “What’s more, I have a feeling of intimacy with co-workers on the other side of the country that is almost fun,” Manjoo says.
No, we’re not talking about Stranger Things, although we do love it (especially the music). We’re referencing a more unorthodox approach and working an “upside-down” schedule if it makes sense in your life, or if it’s the only way to work with certain clients. Usually, this will only come into play if you work with clients or a company with a major time difference to yours (i.e., 12 hours apart). The digital nomad lifestyle appeals to those who value freedom, adventure, and the ability to explore different cultures and environments while maintaining their careers or businesses. If you’re working with people who are located across multiple time zones, it’s important to keep communication clear and consistent so that everyone can take ownership of their tasks and workflows. Working with people in different time zones is not as simple as scheduling meetings at 9 am and 3 pm on both sides of the globe.
Keep in mind that World Clock will show only your current time, and the current time in the other locations, too. Caribbean countries are in a similar time zone as well to most of the Americas. For London and the rest of GMT, Brazil is two hours ahead of Colombia most of the time. This is a time that allows you to focus on thinking and coming up with creative solutions that can benefit your business core instead of burning out on endless Zoom calls. If you do creative work, this time difference leaves a lot of quiet time between the US and Europe.
Block Off High-Value Times
- Avoid last-minute changes, as this can cause confusion and stress for your colleagues or clients.
- If you’re managing a globally distributed team, you know very well the struggles of traversing different time zones and cultural barriers.
- A broad team that spans multiple time zones also spans a variety of regions that often have distinctive cultures, points out Erhard.
- It is also possible to include meeting location options like a physical address, phone number, or Zoom link.
- “What’s more, I have a feeling of intimacy with co-workers on the other side of the country that is almost fun,” Manjoo says.
- It’s essential to clearly outline processes and workflows and have proper communication channels that allow all team members to stay connected.
New technologies and shifts in workplace culture are likely to shape how remote teams deal with time zone challenge. Suppose you work in one country but half your team is located in another. Consider working a half-day at the office and then working remotely one or more days a week at night or early in the morning.
This can be more challenging when you need to work in different time zones since there is a greater chance of misinterpretation. It’s also essential for managers to learn about the culture where their remote team members are located and how this might impact how they work together. Both Google Calendar and Apple Calendar let you assign time zones when you create new events.
Use Asynchronous Communication
Before a meeting, make sure you have an agenda, and ANY supporting material is send along with the agenda. Typically we liked to send a reminder email a few hours before a meeting to ask people if they had any questions on the material. Nowadays we use Clearword’s Pre-Meeting pages for scheduling, planning, sharing files and preparing collaboratively. When working remotely and over multiple timezones, you will encounter more and more people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Memorize where country locations, to act faster about time zones
See the impact of fewer, shorter meetings, increased accountability, and enhanced productivity with Fellow. An inside look at the meeting ground rules used internally by Fellow.app, the top-rated meeting productivity software company. Now if you go with melatonin, make sure you’re going with the correct does (Jodi Ettenberg breaks it down on LegalNomads). Alternatively, there are other supplements that can help with sleep, such as valerian root or Magnesium. Do your own research beforehand on these though, so you’re aware of potential side effects. Global logistics infrastructure and seamless technology to empower your global workforce.
- The Southeast Asian time zone is perfect for getting in that quiet, creative time in the morning.
- I learned that the US and Canada are the only countries that celebrate Labor Day in September, and the rest of the world observes May 1 as Labor Day.
- Open up a free account at Timezone.io and you’ll be able to see your entire team on a grid showing who’s in which time zone and what time it is there.
- Ashwini Bapat, MD, is a palliative care doctor, a co-founder of Hippocratic Adventures and EpioneMD Coaching.
- As a result, you’ll be able to close any cultural communication gaps, which will lead to a more respectful and productive work environment.
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. In today’s interconnected world, remote work has become an essential model for businesses looking to access a global talent pool. However, as organizations extend their reach across different continents, they encounter a distinct set of time zone challenges for remote teams.
Asynchronous communication (“async”) is when information is sent at separate times with a delay in between. For example, writing an email, sending a Loom video, or leaving a voice message for someone so they can respond to it whenever works best with their schedule (and yours). Remote workers can come from anywhere in the world, which means they have unique perspectives to share with their colleagues.
Allow Flexible Work Hours
“Tools like Slack, Convo and HipChat make that possible in a way that it never really was a few years ago.” You can work at opposite times from the rest of your team, and still join in on all the office banter. Whether it’s just a team check-in or something more collaborative, living and working in different time zones meetings will always be a thing. The ability to hand off work is a productivity benefit, but it’s also motivator since you know you must accomplish tasks so you can hand them off to co-workers at day’s end.
“Since there are people working from nearly every time zone in the world, there was always someone online to help with a problem or joke around with when you’re working,” he wrote in his book. It might work out great for you, if you like to work nontraditional hours anyway. Software engineer Kevin Furbish found this to be true about his remote team at Intuit. “Many of us tend to work crazy hours, which mitigates being in different time zones.” With the proliferation of remote work comes the likelihood of working with colleagues in different time zones. This was a possibility even before many people started working from home—for example, between a home office in New York, New York, and a satellite office in Los Angeles, California.
