Work has changed. There is hardly anyone working today who is not having to work with dispersed teams. In working with dispersed teams, communication is one of the greatest challenges.  Gone are the days of the added benefits of standing around the water cooler to follow up on some ambiguous details from the team meeting an hour earlier.  

Instead, there must be some intentionality to ensuring clarity of communication. This intentionality is even more critical when the team is spread around the world, across multiple time zones, and then the added component of cultures! So what does this intentionality look like?

Team members involved in these dispersed teams need to become students of other cultures. Take time to learn about those who you are collaborating with. It won’t happen by itself! Each person must be willing to invest the time on the phone (or Skype) and be intentionally using other communication tools such as email, social media and IM to ensure that the connections are being made and solid relationships are forming. 

If you are a manager, managing people in other locations, it is important to call randomly, or set up phone calls to just “chat” without having an agenda. By asking questions about how your team member is doing, both personally and professionally, you are ensuring people feel valued and this is crucial; especially in other cultures.

Whether you are a member of the team or the leader, remember to ask questions and encourage the others to ask questions as well. Drive for clarity and create a culture conducive to transparency and no penalties for asking too many questions.

Our team would love to hear your thoughts on these tips and how you are integrating them into the dispersed teams you are working on. We look forward to your input!

Also, make sure to download our short “When in India . . . When in the US” informational sheet that helps you navigate communication between US and Indian team members.