Leading internationally diverse teams that span different languages, cultures, and geographies can be complex to say the least. Throughout my career, I have led and managed direct and indirect reports in Puerto Rico, New York, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, and Martinique. Here is some of what I’ve learned about leading and managing remote teams.
Build Trust
For me, the most important aspect to any professional relationship is trust. This is doubly important when leading someone who is remote. You don’t have the benefit of seeing them face-to-face as often as you would like. So it is imperative that they know you support them, and that you know you can count on them.
Maintain an open-door policy
Even though you are not face-to-face open dialogue needs to continue. A million things come up during the day that are best tackled in the moment. I make sure to make an extra effort to be available for my team since it is not possible to physically pop in for a quick question or brainstorm.
Use technology
Be adaptable with technology to stay in touch. Different people have different styles:
- Are they pick up the phone and call types?
- What about email, chat, and messaging?
- Some like to use video and others can’t stand it.
- And don’t forget about screen sharing. It’s often easier to “show” the problem than describe it.
Learn what tools each individual prefers and make communication with them as easy and comfortable as possible.
Schedule regular conversations
In addition to continuous informal communication, setting up a structured check-in schedule with each direct report is important. A twice-monthly meeting schedule is a good example.
- The first meeting each month is operational, to talk about how the business is going, review any problems or questions that have come up, and offer advice.
- The second meeting is to talk about personal and professional development.
- Regular team meetings should also be scheduled.
Meet in person as often as possible
It is important to travel as often as practical to meet in person. You should meet face-to-face with all direct reports at least 2-4 times per year. I can travel to your office or you can travel to mine. We can also meet up at larger team meetings and events.
Formal feedback (if your company does mid-year and end-year reviews, for example) should always be done in person.
Be aware of cultural differences
Make sure you are aware of cultural differences in different locations and how they impact the work environment.
- Foreign languages are important. Do you discuss business in one language and have personal conversations in another? Does everyone on the team speak a common language?
- What are the major holidays and when do people typically take time off? Some flexibility in scheduling may be needed.
Don’t assume something is universally important because it is important to you.
* This article was originally published on LinkedIn
