One of the most challenging parts of working with foreign clients is adjusting to working in different time zones.
What are time zones? Time zones are areas that use a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. Most western countries, except Australia, are several hours behind Philippine time. In Australia’s case, it is two hours ahead of Philippine time.
Besides working separate hours from your client, there are many challenges to working in different time zones. These include difficulty setting meetings and establishing synchronous and asynchronous communication between you and your team.
But just like any challenge, there are ways to overcome this. Here are six tips that will help you adjust to working in different time zones.
Establish Time Zone Boundaries With Your Client as Early as Possible.
The first step in helping you and your client manage working in different time zones is establishing your available work hours. By knowing when you and your team are available for work, you can better communicate and coordinate your efforts.
Even before you start working, you must let them know when you’re available for work -and when you’re not. Firmly establishing time zone boundaries helps you avoid burnout – and from being required to attend meetings past work hours.
Of course, if you want your team to respect your time zone boundaries, you should also respect theirs. Unless urgent, don’t message your team past their work hours so they can rest in their free time.
Make Use of Asynchronous Communication.
Just because you don’t share work schedules with your team doesn’t mean you can’t communicate and coordinate with them. Thanks to apps like Skype and Gmail, time and location are no longer issues for group communication.
Say hello to asynchronous communication. Asynchronous communication basically means communicating with a time lag.
In this form of communication, you’re using emails, voice recordings, or private messages to contact your team. Besides communication apps, your team can use progress trackers and task management tools to ensure that everyone’s doing their jobs.
Be Clear When Communicating With Your Team.
Remember, it will take time before your co-worker can respond to your message. Always be clear and concise when communicating with your team using this method to avoid any confusion.
For example, if you’re setting a deadline for a co-worker, be precise about what time zone the deadline is. Don’t just say 9 am; for all they know, it could be 9 am Australian time when you meant Philippine time. Being specific about which time zone you’re referring to is basic time zone etiquette.
Determine the Urgency of a Meeting Before Scheduling It.
Before you schedule a meeting with your team, ask yourself: “Do I really need to hold a meeting or will an email suffice?”
Despite what some believe, holding too many meetings, especially if you’re all working in different time zones, is counterproductive. Not only does it waste your team’s time, but it also causes unnecessary stress for everyone too.
If it’s not that urgent, perhaps you can send a general email or a video recording to your team instead. Doing this allows your boss and co-workers to focus on their tasks and then view your message instead of having to drop everything to go to a meeting.
Plan Meetings in Advance So That Everyone Can Attend.
Of course, there will be instances where you will have to attend synchronous meetings with your team to discuss important matters. When this happens, communicate with your team in advance so your supervisor can know when they should hold the meeting.
Check your team’s schedules and see when you are all available. But what if your time zones are so different that there’s no common ground? In that case, you’re going to have to compromise.
You can try splitting your shift, where you log in early to attend the meeting, log out, then log in again to finish the rest.
Or, you can log in later than your usual shift; so you have the time to attend the meeting.
After all, one of the main advantages of a remote setup is work flexibility.
Getting in the Zone Despite Being in Separate Time Zones.
Working with a client from a different time zone isn’t an easy task. But thanks to modern technology, there are plenty of ways to bridge the gap between you and your team. And by following the tips above, you’ll have an easier time adjusting to this new work setup.
So, what are you waiting for? If you’re looking for online work opportunities, head to Remote Staff today. Our jobs list contains various online jobs and is updated regularly, ensuring you’ll never run out of online jobs to choose from. Good luck!
