Trying to coordinate your team’s diaries even when you’re all in the same office can be a challenge. Add in the chaos of your team being located in different time zones? That’s a nuance you need to understand, and manage, from day one.
Different time zones are a strategic advantage
The idea of trying to coordinate your team’s diaries across different time zones might seem daunting. It is, however, a strategic advantage for your business. Managing a distributed team that spans multiple time zones is a logistical puzzle that, if solved well, gives your business a highly competitive edge. The traditional workday simply doesn’t apply when your colleagues may be starting their morning as others are winding down for the night. In practice, this means that flexibility must be woven into the very fabric of your team’s operations. Rather than forcing everyone into a single time slot, empower your team members to manage their schedules to suit their preferences, collaborative needs, and their time zones. This flexibility supports your team’s work-life balance and enables everyone in different regions to collaborate during overlapping hours. Those overlapping hours are where you should schedule team meetings or brainstorming sessions.
Time zone structuring
Now that we’ve talked about the flexibility that your distributed team benefits from, let’s remember that the best type of flexibility comes from a solid structure. Structure is equally important, and that starts with establishing core working hours. These are specific blocks of time when most, if not all, team members are expected to be available. These core hours serve as an anchor point for scheduling meetings and handling urgent matters, ensuring that direct communication can take place. This way, nobody will be left out or isolated because of time zone differences.
Asynchronous communication skills
The key to managing your distributed team across multiple timezones lies in perfecting asynchronous communication. Luckily, technology makes this easy. Shared calendars, project management platforms, and similar cloud-based services help your team stay in constant communication, even when someone is asleep and another person is working on their to-do list.
In some cases, achieving a universally convenient time for everyone may be impossible, especially as teams grow and expand into new regions. When this happens, it’s essential to prioritise flexibility and encourage asynchronous communication, so that those in different time zones can contribute on their own schedules without feeling pressured to be constantly available. Asynchronous collaborative tools support asynchronous communication, enabling your team to share updates, leave feedback, and track progress without needing real-time interaction. This approach keeps your projects moving forward and reduces the pressure for immediate replies, which can often lead to burnout in remote teams.
The public holiday problem
Every country has a different set of public holidays, which can add another layer of complexity when it comes to managing your distributed team. The first step to managing this challenge is recognising and respecting the regional holidays observed by your team members. If you’re unsure of regional or national holiday schedules, ask your team members to share their list of public holidays and personal religious holidays at the beginning of each year. Then, list those on your shared calendar, so that everyone knows when a particular team member will be away from their desk. This way, your team knows when
Daylight savings time
Daylight savings time can also present additional challenges, as clock changes in one region may not be mirrored elsewhere. Some companies address this by setting all meeting times based on a fixed time zone that does not observe daylight saving, like Queensland, Australia. This approach gives your team a consistent reference point for scheduling and reduces confusion when daylight savings changes take place in other regions.
At Prominence Global, we know that the most successful distributed teams are those that invest in building a culture of trust, respect, and open communication. Leaders must model flexibility and understanding, recognising that while technology can bridge the gap, it is the human element that ultimately drives collaboration and innovation. It all hinges on embedding effective communication channels and systems for your team. That way, everyone can thrive, no matter what time zone they’re in.
At Remote Team Connect, we’re skilled at helping business owners manage and build their distributed team, no matter what time zone they work in.
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