You're leading a global team. How can you foster effective virtual teamwork across different countries?

Well talking from experience, I would like to emphasize the combination of virtual and f-2-f meetings. I habe lead international teams in up to 10 countries and it worked well because 1. we clearly defined a common purpose that provides a genuine business value for all participants. The teams need to have an Identity ( name, vision,mission)- learn from sports teams 2. first meeting was a two day face to face meeting, to bond and establish common ground, values and goals 3. met in person at least omce a year to strengthen the bond by combining work and common emotions 4. never meet without an agenda and reason 5. enable democratic structures 7. a virtual knowledge repository 8. market the team's achievements frequently! Success!

Implement reliable and user-friendly communication tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Slack to facilitate real-time communication.

Según mi experiencia en equipos internacionales puedo confirmar que es muy positivo intentar absorber las diferentes culturas que integran el equipo. Aprovechar las diferencias y potenciar las diferentes habilidades que tengas los individuos del equipo.

Fostering effective virtual teamwork across different countries requires a multifaceted approach that addresses communication, cultural sensitivity, leadership, time zone management, technology, team building, performance monitoring, conflict resolution, and work-life balance. By implementing these strategies, teams can overcome the challenges of virtual collaboration and achieve their goals efficiently and harmoniously. Effective virtual teamwork not only enhances productivity but also creates a positive and inclusive work environment where diverse talents can thrive.

La comunicación es una herramienta muy potente en cualquier organización. En muchas ocasiones no se llega a los objetivos o no se crea un equipo potente y fuerte por la falta de comunicación clara y sencilla. Las comunicaciones periódicas son cruciales a la hora de crear vínculos y son muy eficaces para crear una identificación de las personas que lo integran.

Using a common language facilitates communication and reduces misunderstandings. This is crucial in global teams where members have different native languages. Choosing a common language, usually English, can help everyone feel included and understood. In my experience as a corporate English teacher, I have realized that clear communication is essential for the success of multicultural teams. Often, I have encountered talented professionals with brilliant ideas who struggled to express themselves clearly due to language barriers. Teaching English to these professionals not only improved their communication skills but also increased team cohesion.

ASK about norms, trends, and outcomes in the various environments BEFORE telling them how it is going to go. Also be prepared ahead of time with real time data as much as possible about execution of task, outcomes, risks in the environment in question, benefits to same, and any mitigation strategies for risks. ASK the team what plans or ideas they might have to contribute to the overall success of the outcomes. Also, it is incumbent on the leader to be clear about the vision and communicate that well also. If the vision is not fully understood and embraced, nothing else will matter. The outcomes will tend to really fall short. Use a clear framework or outline of the decision and planning process that all can use.

I always schedule meetings that allows all time zones, I tend to rotate in their time zone, make sure that they attend meeting mornings, afternoon and evenings avoiding to penalise only a time zone for late evening. But depending of the objective of the meeting I also release a poll to understand people attendance days before I schedule the meeting so that I am able to craft the agenda based on preorities but also on attendance. I am the chair of the committee, while I delegate the most qualified people to perform tasks, I orchestrate the work to do, this means that I also am available for them separately and make them feel heard and valued. So, I am very happy to meet my team separately if needed!

Respetar las zonas horarias de los equipos es crucial, ya que de esta manera podremos realizar las reuniones en los horarios en los que los integrantes del equipo sean más productivos. Si realizamos reuniones a ultima hora de la tarde puede que los integrantes ya estén cansados y poco activos, por ejemplo.

From personal experience as International Committee Chair. Without trust there are not positive! 1. Recognise cultural diversity and create bridges for understanding, communication and collaboration 2. The leader must be able to listen 3. Understanding teams challenges and find a way to fix them 4. Communicate clearly and provide resources if needed but without overwhelming the team (extra simple support) 5. Allow ideas to flow in a psicological safe space, not judgment but critical thinking 6. Create a culture of failure meaning that if failure happens is OK, it is an opportunity for growth and learn 7. Be available for individual meetings if needed (maiby short or with a set time) 8. Create positive boundaries to respect each others

Trust is the magic ingredient for successful teams but the distance created by remote working and lack of personal connection can make it harder for trust to develop in global teams. Trust is an abstract concept. It can mean different things to different individuals and what we need to trust each other can also vary across cultures. Consider how you: - Share information openly - Deliver on commitments - Demonstrate your competence - Encourage growth and autonomy - Live your organisational values But the key to building trust in teams is creating a culture of psychological safety. Create a working environment where team members support each other, and feel comfortable speaking out during meetings or making mistakes.

As International Committee Chair I personally use 1. Zoom for meeting 2. Google docs and excel for the work itself but also to take track of everyone's work. Google excel shareble document is very useful to track everyone work 3. WhatsApp for instant messaging and video messaging 4. LinkedIn to influence and collect useful data