{"id":3989,"date":"2014-02-06T15:56:53","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T15:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/?p=3989"},"modified":"2014-03-06T18:07:17","modified_gmt":"2014-03-06T18:07:17","slug":"managing-distributed-teams-5-golden-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/managing-distributed-teams-5-golden-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing distributed teams: 5 Golden Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With offices in both London and Tel Aviv, we understand the challenges that a distributed team can sometimes offer. From defining job roles to finding the perfect tools, we have put together our 5 golden rules to making sure your distributed team is managed as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wistia_0by25fpqqc\" class=\"wistia_embed\" style=\"width:640px;height:388px;\">\n<div itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Managing distributed Teams 5 golden rules - MyCurrencyTransfer TV\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT4M33S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.wistia.com\/deliveries\/3a259416d050ab6be0e0c9854006a0064ef5b883.bin\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentURL\" content=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.wistia.com\/deliveries\/2f8d74533260eea0ac2e0c2d1c8d625bf7e3046b.bin\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.wistia.com\/flash\/embed_player_v2.0.swf?2013-10-04&#038;autoPlay=false&#038;banner=false&#038;controlsVisibleOnLoad=true&#038;customColor=026eb2&#038;endVideoBehavior=default&#038;fullscreenDisabled=true&#038;hdUrl%5B2pass%5D=true&#038;hdUrl%5Bext%5D=flv&#038;hdUrl%5Bheight%5D=720&#038;hdUrl%5Bsize%5D=89521168&#038;hdUrl%5Btype%5D=hdflv&#038;hdUrl%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fembed-ssl.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2Fb3822fd2dd0f69bceeb49981e109fbd52462b6ac.bin&#038;hdUrl%5Bwidth%5D=1280&#038;mediaDuration=273.0&#038;playButtonVisible=true&#038;showPlayButton=true&#038;showPlaybar=true&#038;showVolume=true&#038;stillUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fembed.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2F3a259416d050ab6be0e0c9854006a0064ef5b883.jpg%3Fimage_crop_resized%3D640x360&#038;unbufferedSeek=false&#038;videoUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fembed-ssl.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2F2f8d74533260eea0ac2e0c2d1c8d625bf7e3046b.bin\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2014-02-05T12:37:51Z\" \/><object id=\"wistia_0by25fpqqc_seo\" classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\" style=\"display:block;height:360px;position:relative;width:640px;\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.wistia.com\/flash\/embed_player_v2.0.swf?2013-10-04\"><\/param><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\"><\/param><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"><\/param><param name=\"bgcolor\" value=\"#000000\"><\/param><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"opaque\"><\/param><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"autoPlay=false&#038;banner=false&#038;controlsVisibleOnLoad=true&#038;customColor=026eb2&#038;endVideoBehavior=default&#038;fullscreenDisabled=true&#038;hdUrl%5B2pass%5D=true&#038;hdUrl%5Bext%5D=flv&#038;hdUrl%5Bheight%5D=720&#038;hdUrl%5Bsize%5D=89521168&#038;hdUrl%5Btype%5D=hdflv&#038;hdUrl%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fembed-ssl.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2Fb3822fd2dd0f69bceeb49981e109fbd52462b6ac.bin&#038;hdUrl%5Bwidth%5D=1280&#038;mediaDuration=273.0&#038;playButtonVisible=true&#038;showPlayButton=true&#038;showPlaybar=true&#038;showVolume=true&#038;stillUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fembed.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2F3a259416d050ab6be0e0c9854006a0064ef5b883.jpg%3Fimage_crop_resized%3D640x360&#038;unbufferedSeek=false&#038;videoUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fembed-ssl.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2F2f8d74533260eea0ac2e0c2d1c8d625bf7e3046b.bin\"><\/param><embed src=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.wistia.com\/flash\/embed_player_v2.0.swf?2013-10-04\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" bgcolor=#000000 flashvars=\"autoPlay=false&#038;banner=false&#038;controlsVisibleOnLoad=true&#038;customColor=026eb2&#038;endVideoBehavior=default&#038;fullscreenDisabled=true&#038;hdUrl%5B2pass%5D=true&#038;hdUrl%5Bext%5D=flv&#038;hdUrl%5Bheight%5D=720&#038;hdUrl%5Bsize%5D=89521168&#038;hdUrl%5Btype%5D=hdflv&#038;hdUrl%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fembed-ssl.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2Fb3822fd2dd0f69bceeb49981e109fbd52462b6ac.bin&#038;hdUrl%5Bwidth%5D=1280&#038;mediaDuration=273.0&#038;playButtonVisible=true&#038;showPlayButton=true&#038;showPlaybar=true&#038;showVolume=true&#038;stillUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fembed.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2F3a259416d050ab6be0e0c9854006a0064ef5b883.jpg%3Fimage_crop_resized%3D640x360&#038;unbufferedSeek=false&#038;videoUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fembed-ssl.wistia.com%2Fdeliveries%2F2f8d74533260eea0ac2e0c2d1c8d625bf7e3046b.bin\" name=\"wistia_0by25fpqqc_html\" style=\"display:block;height:100%;position:relative;width:100%;\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" wmode=\"opaque\"><\/embed><\/object><noscript itemprop=\"description\"><\/p>\n<p>From defining job roles to finding the perfect tools, we have put together our 5 golden rules to making sure your distributed team is managed as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script charset=\"ISO-8859-1\" src=\"\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script>\nwistiaEmbed = Wistia.embed(\"0by25fpqqc\");\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script charset=\"ISO-8859-1\" src=\"\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/0by25fpqqc\/metadata.js\"><\/script><br \/>\nGood morning &amp; welcome to another edition of\u00a0MyCurrencyTransferTV. We\u2019re so pleased you can join us.\u00a0Today, we\u2019re going to discuss the 5 golden rules when trying to manage a\u00a0distributed team. At MyCurrencyTransfer, we live and breathe the challenges\u00a0of a distributed workforce each day. It can be fun, challenging, infuriating &amp;\u00a0tiresome all at the same time. Ultimately, we find working with peers all over\u00a0the world tremendously rewarding &amp; today, we\u2019ll give you 5 golden rules to\u00a0make the challenge that much simpler.<\/p>\n<p>From London to Tel Aviv to Kiev and Hong Kong, here are the benefits from our\u00a0own experiences.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Managing-disributed-teams-5-golden-rules.png\" alt=\"Managing-disributed-teams-5-golden-rules\" width=\"640\" height=\"496\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3725\" \/><br \/>\n1. <strong>Recognise that technology WILL sometimes fail<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s that Skype call for a content meeting or that all important\u00a0performance review, be prepared for technology to fail. Recognise it as an\u00a0issue but don\u2019t let it frustrate you. Keep a back up option open at all times.\u00a0Having a Plan B is critical, particularly when you are arranging a catch up with\u00a0multiple participants.<\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>Open communication lines<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Try to keep a shared calendar, so that you know when and where team\u00a0members are across the world at all times. Nothing can be more frustrating\u00a0than pinging your colleague a thousand miles away an e-mail or Skype\u00a0message and not getting a reply. Perhaps your colleague is at an external\u00a0meeting or is coding away on a new product release. Try to have each team\u00a0member document their daily whereabouts as much as possible. This isn\u2019t\u00a0micro management, it\u2019s just good practice.<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>The right set of tools for the right time<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At MyCurrencyTransfer, we use a range of productivity &amp; collaboration tools\u00a0which really strengthen our vision of multiple offices, one company. We use\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Basecamp<\/a> to manage cross-office \u2018to do lists\u2019 and assignments for the various\u00a0projects we are working on. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.skype.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\">Skype<\/a> is used for quick-fire chats, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pipedrive.com\" target=\"_blank\">Pipedrive<\/a> for\u00a0CRM purposes &amp; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.buzzstream.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Buzzstream<\/a> to manage influencer outreach. Google drive\u00a0is used to co-ordinate our content calendar &amp; important company financial\u00a0forecasting. At the moment, we\u2019re also trying out Zulu &amp; HipChat for enhanced\u00a0cross-office collaboration.<\/p>\n<p>Be careful of \u2018tool overload\u2019 and only use right tools for the right goals. Try to\u00a0attain buy in from each member of staff as after all, they need to appreciate\u00a0and value the particular new tool you are asking them to use on a daily basis.<\/p>\n<p>4. <strong>Define roles to a T<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Break down tasks and job roles into small tasks. In any company, speed\u00a0and momentum is key. When taking on a new overseas member of staff,\u00a0make sure both employer and staff member understands their job role to a\u00a0T. Training and development is key, particularly in the early days.\u00a0If budget\u00a0permits, bring over that member of staff to your HQ.<\/p>\n<p>Appreciate that each member of the team from their respective corners of the\u00a0world will have their own cultures modes of communication. Treat this as a\u00a0positive. After all, if everyone thought the same, creativity returns can often\u00a0diminish. Brainstorms will be done and remember to embrace different minds, values and\u00a0ways of looking at how problems can be solved.<\/p>\n<p>5. <strong>10 minute cross office standup each day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lastly, devote 10 minutes a day minimum to your international team and don\u2019t\u00a0let more than two consecutive days go by without checking in. The further\u00a0away from HQ the team members are, the more it\u2019s imperative to make them\u00a0feel an integral part of the cause.<\/p>\n<p>Managing a distributed team sounds harder than it usually turns out to be\u00a0and can offer so many benefits and rewards. If you are looking for ways to\u00a0improve production, save on office space and save money, a distributed team\u00a0could be the perfect option for your business.<\/p>\n<p>We really hope you enjoyed today\u2019s episode of MyCurrencyTransfer TV. If you have any questions, please don\u2019t hesitate to get in touch with us directly. Our twitter handle is <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mycurrencytrans\" target=\"_blank\">@mycurrencytrans<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Written by Sofia Kluge on <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/+SofiaKluge\/posts\" target=\"_blank\">Google+<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With offices in both London and Tel Aviv, we understand the challenges that a distributed team can sometimes offer. From defining job roles to finding the perfect tools, we have put together our 5 golden rules to making sure your distributed team is managed as efficiently as possible. From defining job roles to finding the perfect tools, we have put [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[115],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4034,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3989\/revisions\/4034"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mycurrencytransfer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}