How do you foster a culture of respect when working remotely or across different time zones?

> Establish open and transparent communication channels, respecting time zone differences. > Encourage active listening and clear expression of thoughts and opinions. > Foster a culture of empathy by acknowledging and respecting diverse perspectives and experiences. > Encourage team members to learn about different cultures and work styles. > Create opportunities for collaboration and social interaction, regardless of location. > Ensure everyone feels valued and included in decision-making processes.

Na minha experiência, uma boa prática é comunicar-se de forma clara e frequente para promover uma cultura de respeito ao trabalhar remotamente ou em diferentes fusos horários. Utilize diversos canais, como e-mail, telefone, vídeo e bate-papo, para garantir que todos estejam alinhados e informados. Seja respeitoso e empático em suas comunica??es, evitando mal-entendidos e conflitos. Fa?a check-ins regulares com a equipe e solicite feedback para manter um ambiente colaborativo e de apoio, onde todos se sintam valorizados e ouvidos.

Be mindful of cultural nuances that come into play when communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds and continuously check your biases for signs that how you communicate could be improved. Remember that what may be considered appropriate or polite in one culture may be perceived as rude or offensive in another.

Operated across 16 geographies (Hong Kong to California), I received a negative comment for not being 'available' once. (Missed a call from HK). I took a simple approach (probably not the most inventive). I mailed all overseas offices stating I would be available to take calls up to 00:01 hrs GMT Monday - Friday unless there was an 'emergency'. I made an absolute point of mailing or ringing people to the minute exactly as had been agreed, followed up as and when agreed. I did that for circa 6 or 7 years and never received a call past 23:00 hrs...it was simple and worked. 1 in the morning is my 'usual' time for bed so , it wasn't a big deal. In general always do what you have said you would do. Simply put be consistent, be reliable.

If someone says something to you that you perceive is inappropriate, rude, or even simply brusque, tell them. Don't harbor your feelings about the interaction. Even better if you can provide the feedback soon after the event. Although hard, sharing this type of direct feedback is key to understanding. Perhaps they had no idea that it came across that way. All the better to know the intention of the person.

Respect the time zones of your colleagues by scheduling meetings and sending messages during their regular working hours whenever possible. Use tools like World Clocks to quickly check the time in different locations before scheduling meetings. Schedule regular team meetings or check-ins to provide updates, share progress, and address any issues or concerns. These meetings help keep everyone on the same page and foster a sense of connection among remote team members.

When you're trying to foster a culture of respect when working remotely or across different time zones, one of the basic things to do is to be conscious of meeting times. Ask the team collectively and independently, is there a singular time of day that works best for meetings? Or, is it better to rotate the meeting times so everyone has a chance to bite the bullet. For example, I once worked in a team that was very heavy in the Americas and European countries, with a few people in Asia. While many of our team meetings were friendly to the Americas and European time zone, we occasionally had meetings in the Asia-friendly times. We essentially prorated our meeting times based on how many people there were in each time zone.

Establish a communications urgency hierarchy. There are so many ways to send a message to someone on your team, getting clear on when to use which method is helpful. For example: ?? Email isn't the way we usually communicate on our team. This is good for messages that are less urgent. Employees are expected to respond within 24 hours. ? Slack is our go-to communications tool. Most team chatter happens here. Our team rule is to respond within two working hours. ?? Calls and texts are only used if you have a burning question or information that needs to be shared now. These comms are for emergencies only. Your teammates will do their best to respond as soon as they are able.

Respecting people's boundaries and schedules seems to basic and fundamental, and yet some colleagues and leaders appear to greatly struggle with it. The revelation that team members are humans first, before they are employees, needs to be reinforced in people's minds. Respect is earned, and more often than not, it is earned by giving it. This becomes tricky when dealing with remote work or work across time zones, but the principles remain the same: take the person's circumstances into consideration! Are you contacting them during working hours? Are you scheduling a meeting that will be unnecessarily disruptive to their work day? Are you using their preferred communication method? etc.

Foster an environment where team members are encouraged to share their backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This could be through dedicated "get to know you" sessions, cultural exchange days, or informal virtual coffee chats. These spaces can enhance team cohesion and appreciation for diversity

Encourage all team members to actively participate in meetings and discussions, regardless of their location or time zone. Use inclusive language and allow everyone to share their ideas and perspectives.

Lately I have worked with many individuals across industries that have all expressed that they are doing a "thankless job". This is painful to hear. We all need words of gratitude, appreciation, and encouragement. Some need it more than others, and good leaders know how to recognize these needs in their team members and provide everyone with the kind of feedback they need. Whatever the frequency, acknowledging team members' accomplishments and "wins" is crucial for individual and collective growth. There are many ways to reward staff, but the main thing is to make sure that everyone gets period recognition and rewards, and that these come often enough to sustain their motivation and progress.

Go beyond top-down rewards. Encourage your team to recognize their peers. It can be tough to get this to stick, but with some explanation of its power, and modeling, this can be a great way to foster trust across time zones.

To foster respect smd inclusivity across different time zones, schedule meetings at varying times to accommodate team members' working hours. Rotate meeting times periodically, ensuring that no one consistently bears the burden of inconvenient schedules. Encourage open communication about time zone challenges and collectively find solutions to make collaboration more balanced for everyone.

One of the greatest ways to build trust is to use the trust triangle. People build trust in 3 days (hence, a triangle): (1) logistically, "I know you can do your job," (2) empathetically, "I believe you care about me any my success," and (3) authentically, "I experience the real you." Cultivating opportunities that align with each of the corners of the trust triangle can help build trust among a team.

As a leader or manager, lead by example by demonstrating respect and empathy in your interactions with team members. Show appreciation for their efforts, listen actively to their concerns, and communicate openly and transparently. Regularly solicit feedback from team members about their remote work experience and any challenges they may be facing. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments to your remote work practices accordingly.