Do you find working with teams from different cities, countries, or continents difficult? If the answer is yes, there is something you are doing wrong. Since the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in remote operations, across industries. A common misconception about a globally dispersed team lies in the fact that they are difficult to manage.
But here is the thing. Today, many organizations have gone completely remote. Many firms have been outsourcing their practices to a team of experts who are geographically placed in a different location and they have been delivering great results. The unique challenges of maintaining a distributed team can help incentivize the creation of a strong culture. This is because the local teams believe that the culture will be built organically, while global teams tend to put in additional effort.
Understanding all about distributed teams in detail:
A globally distributed team provides easy access to global talent by allowing firms to find a pool of skills and expertise. With distributed teams, accounting firms get the best talent who are innovative, creative and have built a niche for themselves. Having a globally distributed team also offers flexibility in work arrangements which can be more lucrative to the talent. They get the freedom to work from their preferred location, which helps improve work-life balance and boost employee satisfaction. This allows better retention of people.
This model is highly beneficial for firm owners too. They do not need to spend on physical office space, which is significant. As firms save the infrastructure cost, they can invest the resources in other areas of business. This is especially useful for firms low on capital.
However, with globally distributed teams, communication can sometimes be difficult. Misunderstandings can arise from the lack of non-verbal cues and immediate feedback. This may delay the decision-making process and project execution. Building trust and fostering accountability can be difficult for a distributed team. Another common challenge includes time zone differences. Having an overlapping time may require extra effort. Coordinating the meetings and keeping everyone on the same page can be challenging when team members are spread.
Here are some key ways to create a culture across geographically distributed teams:
- Define the purpose: The teams must be united by a common purpose. The team’s goals should be designed to include both the organization’s vision and address personal goals. Building a roadmap for the team can help ensure that all team members remain focused right from the start. Identify key resources, define roles and responsibilities, and determine how the team operates. Your roadmap should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This roadmap can be especially utilized to spot any threats to the teams and bring everyone back on track.
- Develop strong team dynamics: Whether you are creating a new team in a geographically different location or integrating members from other locations into your current teams – building strong team dynamics is imperative. The challenge with remote employees is that you can’t watch their body language or spot signs of them facing troubles. It is also difficult to keep their morale high. While it might be difficult to “watch” them having some problems, keep an eye for signs like reduced productivity, unwillingness to be a part of the meetings and video conferences, and shortage of new ideas. Being mindful of the needs of the teams can go a long way in ensuring that your teams are happy, no matter where they are.
- Build a system of regular check-ins and feedback: Feedback is the key determining factor in analyzing your team’s performance. Having a system of rewarding and recognizing the team members is also vital to ensure the happiness of the team members.As leaders, dealing with remote teams, it is important to stay in contact with them. When in the office, it is easy to stop by your teammates’ desks for a quick chat. With dispersed teams, leaders need to find ways to make up for the lack of this ability. This means they might need to book regular meetings. These can be team meetings or one-on-one. You can also seek suggestions from your teammates on what works best for them.
While remote teams are great, to keep the morale high, the feedback needs to be fair and consistent. Make it a conscious choice to make them feel included. You may need to set aside extra time for one-on-one calls with remote teams. Stay in regular contact so they may not feel left out.
- Promote team bonding: People who work from the office enjoy lunches or drinks with co-workers or get to hang out with them. As a leader, you have to get creative with the ways to achieve team bonding. Set a budget to get your team together at least once a year. However, in case of a tight budget, you need to choose an alternative.You can get everyone on a virtual app like Zoom for some fun activities, games, or an informal session. It might not be exactly the same as meeting in person, but it may be a great way for a dispersed team to socialize. You could also set up a team page. This could include a forum for suggestions or ideas on specific projects. You can add pictures of teammates here. Try building a virtual team page. It is just like an office break area. This can also be used to celebrate birthdays or personal successes.When dealing with a globally dispersed team, it is important to be sensitive to the language barriers. If you have members speaking a different language, have guidelines for the language to be used during a phone call. Ensure that the team members speak slowly and clearly for others to understand.
- Make sure to keep burnout at bay: When working remotely, sometimes the line between the personal and professional may seem to blur. As leaders, it is important to adopt a balanced approach, where they encourage their team members to inspire each other and make time to pursue a fun side of activities. If we have to make remote teams successful, leaders cannot ask employees to extend their hours just because “they are working from home”. In fact, they should be encouraged to disconnect after work day and take vacations. It not only helps them but the teams.
Building a sustainable culture across geographically distributed teams, in the context of accounting firms, is not an impossible task. But it requires conscious efforts, communication, and a focus on inclusivity, trust, and collaboration. By investing in the right tools, hiring the right people, understanding their needs, and addressing their challenges can go a long way in building a team that ensures success.
At Finsmart Accounting, we help accounting firms scale their businesses and ensure success with our remote team of experts. To know how we can help, write to us at connect@finsmartaccounting.com.
Maanoj is Co-founder & Director of Growth Strategy & Alliance at Finsmart Accounting. He is an Outsourcing Expert, a People Champion, and a Dynamic Leader with strong Business Strategy and Scaling-up experience. He has incubated businesses, sold & exited ventures; helped build strong enterprises in very diversified verticals like Fintech, HR & Consulting spaces in various CXO capacities over the last 20 years.
