93% of communication is non-verbal, right? Anyone who is monolingual and has been on holiday to a country where they don’t speak the language will either conclude that the figure is wrong or only the 7% counts.

International Team Productivity

In the not-so-distant past, having overseas team members meant facing significant challenges and delays in communication and collaboration. The distance, time zone, and no video calls made it a daunting task to ensure the productivity of international teams. The world has changed post-Covid, where remote work and digital collaboration tools like Zoom and Teams have become the norm. This shift has shrunk the world. In this article, I will explore the historical challenges of working with an overseas team, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and how technology has made it possible for remote international teams to be as productive as domestic ones in many situations.

Pre-Covid

It’s funny that “Pre-Covid” and “Post-Covid” are different epochs in the workplace—a seminal moment for better or worse, varying enormously between individuals and companies. Pre-covid, working with overseas team members was fraught with difficulties that hindered productivity. These challenges can be summarised as follows:

1. Distributed Team Working: Pre-Covid most teams were primarily in-office, and teamwork relied on people being in the same room. Offshore team members were not in that ‘in-group’.
2. Communication Barriers: Before the digital age, international communication relied heavily on telephone calls, faxes, and email, which were often expensive and inefficient. Time zones created significant communication delays, making maintaining real-time discussions and collaboration difficult.
3. Cultural Differences: Cultural nuances could lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations, affecting teamwork and project outcomes. These differences required careful navigation and cultural sensitivity.
4. Travel Costs and Time: Face-to-face meetings were essential for building trust and rapport among team members. But, international travel is costly and time-consuming, limiting the frequency of in-person interactions.
5. Limited Collaboration Tools: The absence of modern digital collaboration tools meant that teams had to rely on slow and often unreliable file-sharing methods, document management and the telephone.
6. Data Security Concerns: Sharing sensitive information across borders raised concerns about data security and confidentiality, leading to additional precautions and complexities.

The Post-Covid Transformation

Covid-19 forced businesses to adapt rapidly to remote work. This sudden shift brought about several changes that have had a profound impact on the productivity of international teams:

1. Digital Collaboration Tools: The rise of platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and others has revolutionised remote work. These tools enable real-time video conferencing and instant messaging, enabling trust and rapport to be developed.
2. Remote Work Culture: The pandemic accelerated the acceptance of remote work, making it a norm in many organisations. We have all now seen new team members who become integrated high-performing contributors before they’ve met anyone in person.
3. Increased Flexibility: Remote work has made it easier for international team members to adjust their work hours to accommodate different time zones, reducing communication delays.
   Cost Savings: Reduced reliance on physical office spaces and business travel has resulted in cost savings for organisations, making international team collaborations more cost-effective.
4. Talent Pool Expansion: Companies can now tap into a global talent pool, enabling them to hire the best candidates regardless of location.
5. Emphasis on Results: Remote work has shifted the focus from monitoring employees’ presence to evaluating their productivity based on outcomes, fostering a results-oriented work culture.

Challenges in the New Normal

While technology and the post-Covid world have transformed the landscape of international team productivity, challenges still exist:

1. Leadership: Effective leaders of remote teams need to do some things really well. First and foremost is communication. They maintain open and transparent lines of communication, ensuring team members feel connected and informed. They also set clear expectations, goals, and deadlines, helping remote workers stay on track. These need practice, some leaders are still adapting.
2. Cultural Differences: Cultural sensitivity remains essential. International teams must navigate diverse perspectives and communication styles. Companies might consider cultural training and team-building efforts.
3. Cybersecurity: As international teams share data across borders, cybersecurity threats become more significant. Robust security measures and controls are essential to protect sensitive information and comply with statutory obligations.
4. Mental Health and Well-being: Isolation and the blurring of work-life boundaries in remote work settings can affect employee mental health. Companies should promote a healthy work-life balance.

The world has become smaller in the post-Covid era, thanks to the widespread adoption of remote work and digital collaboration tools. While international teams once faced challenges, including communication, cultural differences, and limited collaboration tools, these obstacles have substantially receded. Today, with leadership, in many cases, international or remote teams can be as productive as an in-office team, and in some cases, even more so, thanks to diverse perspectives and a global talent pool.

If you are ready to start talking about developing your offshore team, please send me a direct message.

Author:

Michael Sivewright

Digital Transformation | Workforce Solutions | Operations Consulting | Managing Director at Valenta

Read More