An in-depth guide to scheduling your global team

Managing and scheduling a global team can present various challenges, from coordinating time zones to navigating cultural differences. But with the right strategies, it's possible to effectively manage a remote team and maximize productivity. 

In this in-depth guide, we'll explore some of the challenges of scheduling global teams and provide tips for overcoming them.

7 challenges of scheduling global teams

Getting everyone on the same page can be a real challenge – especially when your team lives in different parts of the world. Here are seven of the biggest challenges you'll face when trying to align your global team. 

1. Time differences

Navigating time differences is one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to scheduling a distributed team. With team members located in different time zones, it can be tough to coordinate schedules for meetings, calls and other collaborative efforts. This can lead to delays in communication and decision-making, which can impact project timelines. 

2. Cultural clashes

Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunications and conflicts. Some examples of cultural differences include:

• Language barriers
• Different work habits
• Opposing life outlooks 
• Different major holidays (more on this in a minute) 
• And more

All these things can contribute to cultural clashes and make scheduling even more challenging. For example, working on projects and communicating deadlines can be hard if your employees don't speak the same language. With different holidays, your team members might expect different days off. Ultimately, cultural differences aren't something you can overcome without some thoughtful planning. 

3. Mismatched expectations

Different team members may have different expectations around communication, work hours and deadlines. This can lead to confusion and frustration. 

For example, an employee from a culture that values punctuality and strict adherence to deadlines may expect a project to be completed and delivered by the agreed-upon deadline. On the other hand, an employee from a culture that places a higher value on relationship-building and flexibility may see the deadline as more of a suggestion and prioritize maintaining a positive relationship with their colleagues over strict adherence to the deadline. This cultural clash can lead to different expectations and potential conflicts around project deadlines.

4. Inflexible work schedules

Inflexible work schedules can make scheduling difficult in distributed, global teams because it limits the times when team members can communicate or collaborate. 

For example, if a team member in Asia is only available during their local business hours, and a team member in the US is only available during their local business hours, there may be a very limited overlap in which they can work together. This can slow down the pace of the project and make it harder to keep everyone on the same page. 

Additionally, inflexible working hours can lead to team members feeling frustrated or resentful if they feel like they are always the ones making adjustments to their schedules to accommodate others.

5. Lack of face-to-face interaction

A lack of face-to-face interaction in a global team can lead to miscommunications and misunderstandings. Without the benefit of nonverbal cues and body language, team members may struggle to convey their message clearly, leading to delays or missed deadlines. Nonverbal cues may be especially critical when your team has different native languages. 

Additionally, team members may feel disconnected without regular face-to-face interactions, making it difficult to establish trust and rapport. This lack of trust can create a reluctance to delegate tasks or take on new responsibilities, leading to delays or missed deadlines.

A lack of face-to-face interaction can also make it difficult to build a shared understanding of team goals and objectives. Team members may have different interpretations of the project's scope and priorities, which can lead to conflicting expectations and misunderstandings. This can further complicate scheduling efforts as team members may prioritize different tasks or work at different paces.

6. Limited access to information

Without a centralized system for sharing information, it can be challenging for team members to stay up-to-date on project updates, timelines, and other important information. In addition, this lack of access can make it difficult to stay on task and meet deadlines. 

7. Different holidays and time off

Different countries and cultures have different holidays and time off, making it difficult to coordinate schedules and ensure that all team members are available when needed. 

For example, if a team member in one country takes a holiday while the rest of the team is working, this can lead to delayed responses to important messages or questions. It can also cause delays in the project. Additionally, if team members in different countries have different public holidays, scheduling meetings or important deadlines around those holidays can be challenging. 

How to overcome the scheduling woes

Thankfully, there are several ways to ensure your global team is prepped to handle these scheduling challenges. 

Method One: Adapt an asynchronous workflow.

Rather than requiring all team members to be available simultaneously, consider implementing an asynchronous workflow. This allows team members to work at their own pace and schedule, which can help alleviate the impact of time zone differences.

Method Two: Establish clear policies to promote cultural differences. 

Establish clear policies around communication, work hours and other important issues, considering cultural differences. This can help minimize misunderstandings and conflicts.

Method Three: Set clear expectations.

Clearly communicate expectations around communication, deadlines and work hours. This can help ensure that all team members are on the same page and can work effectively together.

Method Four: Embrace flexible working arrangements.

Consider offering flexible working arrangements, such as flexible schedules or remote work options. This can help team members balance work and personal obligations more effectively – no matter their time zone.

Method Five: Employ regular check-ins. 

Schedule regular check-ins with team members to ensure everyone is on track and address any issues or concerns. This can help build trust and rapport with remote team members.

Method Six: Prioritize centralized information sharing.

Establish a centralized system for sharing information, such as a project management tool or a shared document repository. This can help ensure all team members have access to the information they need to work effectively.

Method Seven: Create a holiday and time off calendar.

Create a calendar of holidays and time off for all team members, taking into account different countries and cultures to ensure that scheduling conflicts are minimized.

Simplify scheduling with your global team with Outstaffer

Keeping schedules straight in a global team can be challenging, but with the right strategies and technology, achieving success is possible. 

Here at Outstaffer, we help companies like yours build strong global teams. As a global employer of record, we help you find, hire, manage and equip top talent from around the world. Plus, with our #WorkFromAnywhere solutions, like Time and Attendance Tracking and Real-Time Employee Monitoring, we make scheduling woes a thing of the past. 

Want to learn more? Schedule your free demo today.