Todoist is a work time tracking software which makes it possible to systematize your work. Without the benefit of real-time clarification, written communication becomes crucial. Messages should be clear, concise, and actionable to prevent misunderstandings. I would stop receiving phone calls after lunch, and in a way there was actually less pressure because I knew everyone else was sleeping. We bet that coworkers from Shanghai and Chongqing don’t usually greet each other with “good morning” or “good evening” during online video calls.
Time differences can easily lead to misunderstandings, delays, or missed opportunities if not handled properly. With a few best practices, you can work seamlessly with colleagues across the globe without the stress. In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for working across time zones, identifying the main challenges and how to navigate them. To communicate in different time zones, it’s crucial to work with special software. Here’s a look at few tools useful in communication through time zones.
Time zone converters are crucial tools for digital nomads, especially when coordinating with clients and team members across the globe. These apps simplify the process of finding mutual availability, reducing the risk of missed meetings or delayed projects. Effective time management is essential for digital nomads navigating the complexities of different time zones. It ensures that despite geographical changes, productivity remains unaffected. Let’s delve deeper into each tip with detailed explanations and examples.
Use clear communication
When you schedule a meeting with a client in a different time zone, check and double-check that you’ve done your math correctly. Google calendar has a setting that you can choose your home time zone and then appointments will always be scheduled in that time zone unless you choose otherwise. Cloud storage services like Google Drive living and working in different time zones and Dropbox are essential for digital nomads, offering a secure and accessible place to store documents and files.
- This can be through phone calls, video chats or even using an instant messaging platform like Slack or Microsoft Teams.
- Encouraging asynchronous communication can significantly ease the stress of time zone differences.
- However, while remote work offers flexibility and a chance for a better lifestyle, it poses unique challenges, primarily when dealing with varying time zones.
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This means anticipating the potential challenges and opportunities that may arise from working across multiple time zones, and preparing accordingly. For example, you can use online tools or apps to track the time zones of your team members, clients, or stakeholders, and schedule meetings or calls at mutually convenient times. You can also create a weekly or monthly calendar to organize your tasks, deadlines, and goals, and share it with your relevant contacts. Effective coordination across different time zones requires the right tools. World Time Buddy helps visualize multiple time zones simultaneously, making scheduling easier. Google Calendar allows you to set up events with time zone support and sends reminders.
Schedule meetings and calls in advance at mutually agreeable times
If your team works in different time zones, then you will need to communicate asynchronously most of the time. Keenly fostering team cohesion is crucial in combating the feelings of isolation that may arise from working in different time zones. Schedule regular check-ins and virtual team-building exercises that accommodate various schedules to maintain a sense of community and belonging among team members. Working remotely in another time zone can open doors for networking with professionals worldwide.
- Almost all-commercial activity spheres require cooperation with partners in various time zones.
- It also means reaching out to your friends, family, mentors, or peers for emotional, social, or professional support, and sharing your experiences, challenges, and achievements with them.
- While it’s impossible to make everyone happy all the time, aim for a fair compromise that respects the working hours of all parties.
- The remote form will remain profitable and correct for individual solutions or small businesses and for large business players.
- Companies are increasingly striving to measure remote work sustainability, but it’s not an easy feat.
Communicating with a remote team can happen synchronously—over the phone or video call—or asynchronously with email, Slack, or Google Hangouts chat. And those are just the ones I’ve thought of off the top of my head. There’s an endless number of services, apps, and websites that “make communicating easier.” All you have to do is use them. I try to be sensitive to clients who work a traditional 9-5 day, but I don’t always work those hours.
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The key issue they highlighted in this paper is sleep time in Spain. People in Spain sleep 53 minutes less than other European countries because they’re not in the correct time zone. Consequently, employees struggle to stay productive and often work late. There’s a major difference between work habits in Europe, the U.S., Scandinavia, and Southeast Asia. Some regions take lunch at different times, take longer breaks, or don’t work traditional hours.
Keep in mind your colleagues’ working hours
Be very sensitive to cultural differences around work, time off, and holidays. I spent a week in Florida in February collecting seashells, eating the best doughnuts in existence, and reading at least a book a day. I also put in a few hours each afternoon writing and scheduling client appointments (for after my vacation). Now I’ll be frank, I don’t like editing on a deadline because there’s only so much editing a girl can do.
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This way, you’ll increase your serotonin levels and feel more energized, which will surely improve your productivity. Besides, team managers can record meetings for all those workers who haven’t been able to attend. Being mindful of employees and their well-being means respecting their sleep time. However, in 1942, Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco decided to switch their time zone in order to be in line with Nazi Germany.
This involves employees choosing to engage in work tasks or communications to accommodate varying schedules or to meet urgent demands of the job. Working across time zones provided me greater flexibility in terms of scheduling. It also made it easier for me to accommodate different and customized work styles. As the saying goes in the United States, “Spring forward. Fall back.”
The Colombia expat hub of Medellin is perfectly aligned with Eastern Standard Time most of the year, save for daylight savings time when it’s one hour behind. If you want to work remotely in sync with the North American economy, and you want to avoid time zone obstacles, we recommend Latin America. This is because where you can afford to live might take priority over any time zone preference you might have.
Managing a remote team often means managing people who live in a time zone other than yours. And as there is no problem with the individual tasks of every employee, things become more complicated when it comes to communication. With a fresh cup of coffee in front of the computer, your teammate on the other side of the globe may be in the middle of sleep.