GUIDE

How to work effectively across time zones.

Working across time zones can be a major challenge for distributed teams. Questions over how to ensure equal input, how to streamline meetings, and how to collaborate effectively are all valid concerns.

Working with a distributed team can be a hugely rewarding experience. Not only do you have more distributed access between teams, but you also benefit from the diversity of different voices.

But working across time zones can also present various technological challenges. That’s why we put together this handy guide. Read on for advice on how to take advantage of time zone differences, establish crystal clear communication, and keep everyone working from the same page, wherever they are.

USE VIDEO CALLS FOR MEETINGS, EVEN FROM THE SAME LOCATION

If only part of your team works from a different time zone, it can still be useful to have every individual attend meetings via video calls. This way, you can sidestep any divisions between the different teams.

If part of your meeting is taking place between people in the same room, those who cannot physically attend can find it more difficult to chime in. With everyone attending the meeting separately on video calls, regardless of their location, everyone is on a level playing field. It makes it easier to track who is speaking and avoids prioritising communication between select groups.

Consider establishing a rule that unless everyone in your team can be together in the same room, every meeting should be held through video calls to ensure fairness and clarity.

Clocks on wall for working across time zones in a distributed team

ROTATE MEETING TIMES

If you hold regular meetings across time zones, try to rotate meetings times to avoid prioritising certain locations.

For example, if some of your meetings have meant that your team members in France have had to attend at 1 am local time, try to arrange your next meeting so that they can attend during their usual work hours.

By making sure the same people aren’t always being inconvenienced, you can avoid the perception of a ‘core team’ in one location whose needs are always put first. Switching up the times of your meetings will help to ensure everyone in your team feels equally valued.

The easiest way to improve your team’s ability to collaborate when you’re working Anywhere is by using the right tools.

USE TOOLS FOR ASYNCHRONOUS COLLABORATION

Finding the right communication and collaboration tools is essential for all distributed teams, but is especially important for those working across time zones.

Applications like Trello are commonly used to manage team projects, but there are other products on the market that might be better suited to your team. The Anywhere.app, for instance, allows you to create custom collabs to manage individual projects with specific team members. Combine this with Teleport.video for face-to-face meetings and you’ll find it much easier to keep everyone on the same page.

Try out different collaboration tools to find which work best for you. It may be a case of trial and error, but it’s worthwhile if it leads to the right tool for your team.

With a suite of collaboration tools, you can use time zone differences to your advantage. Teammates can log on and see what you’ve worked on while they were away. With the right information, they can jump in and solve problems once you’ve clocked out. This way, your team operates in a relay, which can accelerate your output and ability to solve problems.

Woman waving at colleagues working in different time zones

BRING YOUR TEAM TOGETHER FOR MEET-UPS

Bringing your team together for a weekly, monthly, or even annual meet-up can be a productive and enlightening experience.

Meeting in person allows your team to bond – essential for future communication. With team members in different time zones, it can be easy for people to restrict communication to those online at the same time. By bringing everyone together, you open up communication between people who might not usually interact.

MANAGE YOUR ACCESSIBILITY

You can’t be available to everyone in your team 24/7. For teams working across time zones, it can be tempting to respond to notifications that come in after your normal working day has finished. That’s particularly true when your input is essential to the progress of a project.

But doing this too often leads to overworking and burnout. It’s important to set clear working hours to create a sustainable working schedule for yourself and your team.

As mentioned above, tools to facilitate asynchronous collaboration will minimise the need for after-hours communication. Simultaneously, it’s beneficial to establish several points of contact across time zones.

Try to ensure there is an overlap in working hours between people working on the same projects in different locations. This way, there will always be someone available to help out with more time-sensitive matters when you have finished your working day.

It can also be helpful to allow your team members to set certain times as ‘off-limits’ for meetings. For example, you could set a rule that no-one will be forced to attend meetings between 11 pm and 7 am. If meeting during these hours really is unavoidable, rotate meeting times to avoid prioritising one time zone over another.

SUMMARY

Use video calls for meetings – Try out video collaboration tools like Teleport and ensure every member of the team attends meetings over video
Rotate meeting times – Add your team’s locations to a tool like World Time Buddy to work out the most suitable times to meet
Use asynchronous collaboration tools – Try out project management tools like Trello, time-tracking apps like YoCo, and file-sharing and storage platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive
Hold team meet-ups – Getting your team together occasionally is useful for team bonding and productivity
Know when to switch off – You can’t be available to your team 24/7, so manage your availability to create a sustainable working schedule