When Jane Corey was 37 minutes into her five person conference call, she heard a distinct sound in the background: typing. Henry in the London office had forgotten to put his phone on mute, but that wasn’t the point. If he was responding to an email he had just received, then he was missing the corporate sustainability initiative she had just laid out to the rest of her team. With her company’s business becoming more and more global, Jane was facing new challenges when trying to communicate and collaborate with a globally dispersed team.
Jane’s story is not uncommon. In fact, as the number of businesses that expand overseas continues to increase, more leaders are finding themselves in similar situations. However, avoiding three of the top communication pitfalls will help increase team morale and overall productivity.
1. Mute Button Syndrome
Group attention during a three-hour conference call usually wanes within the first 10 minutes. That’s when many find themselves multitasking. This might seem like the best way to accomplish more, but studies have consistently shown that multitasking reduces the quality of work across the multiple tasks. While face-to-face meetings provide the best opportunity for teams to connect, modern videoconferencing tools enable teams to actively participate in discussion. Receiving feedback in real-time through videoconferencing enabled DreamWorks Animation to go from producing one movie a year to three movies every two years. This face-to-face engagement increased the company’s productivity and allowed its employees to work more efficiently.
2. Cultural Sensitivity
Global business brings global perspectives and varying ways of conducting day-to-day operations. Some cultures appreciate direct feedback while others cringe when receiving public recognition. Some groups prefer to meet over tea or dinner several times to build a level of trust before jumping in to a new business proposal. By understanding the cultural nuances, doing a little research and asking the right questions, you will be in a better position for success as you shape and build your team and business across the globe.
3. Disconnected Remote Teams
Teams with diverse backgrounds and cultures can produce better work when they are given the tools to foster regular collaboration.. However, when teams are disassociated the work becomes siloed and performance falters. Team building exercises are not limited to company outings. With visual collaboration and videoconferencing tools, teams can be encouraged to work as a group, even when being thousands of miles apart.
What are the top communications pitfalls that you’ve experienced in your company? What have you done to overcome them?
