Engaging in global business operations is a big step, so it’s important to understand how to best approach this brand of business entrepreneurship. It’s all well and good to try and re-create the attributes of a physical, regionally centered work team cross-globally, but adapting to the fluidity and mobility that this digital age provides, can enable a work team to build the skills to get a head start in any industry.
- Go virtual
Finding decent work space can be costly, inefficient and confusing and the real estate industry is slightly behind the times. Investing in a virtual workplace setup can be a progressive and efficient way to establish the foundation for a highly skilled global team. Temporary office space companies offer 24/7 flexibility to setup an office and run a business from many locations around the world. These companies allow businesses to run affordably and efficiently through granting individual access to boardrooms, meeting rooms, day offices, furniture and IT infrastructure. Regional restrictions are no longer an issue for building up and strengthening a global work team.
- Purposes and Goals
Now that you’ve got the foundations for business operations, emphasis on good communication for an effective global team is priority. Creating clear and concise goals that everyone in the team enthusiastically believe in will foster skill development. Just because business activity isn’t regionally centralized, doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be standardized operating principles and purposes. Focusing on minimal, quality meeting agendas will help avoid overloading team members with content and also help navigate time-differences among colleagues. It's also important to ensure the team understands the objectives they have been assigned and provide them the tools necessary to take initiative and operate independently. You can’t build up your skill set if you aren’t challenging your individual abilities and creativity.
- Building trust
A highly skilled team depends upon a foundation of healthy trustworthy collaboration. Creating some sort of social community space is important in developing co-worker relationships beyond the mundane interactions of emails and phone calls. Some might argue that fostering organizational relationships in a global environment is not nearly as effective as face-to-face interactions. Instead of emailing or calling, get people face-to-face by using programs like GoToMeeting or Skype to interact with others on a more interpersonal level. Utilizing Facebook or other social networking platforms can help build relationships with clients beyond the typical workday hours. Communications for research, IT, and telecom will play an important role in the success of your team. Hiring a quality IT Director will ensure your team and clients can depend on your IT infrastructure. If you want to meet in person, there are meeting spaces across the globe located conveniently so you can focus on the growth and success of your business. A business team will prosper no matter where their members are when trust and communication are effective.
- Enthusiasm
Skill will only come when someone is enthusiastic about what they do. When you are seeking out people for a global team, ensure that you are investing in someone who believes in the goals that the business is working towards. Without vested interest or passion, managing a team global team will have its set-backs in time and cost.
- Adaptability (and de-centralizing power)
On that note, de-centralizing leadership is crucial for the development of global teams. Rather than opting for the conventional leadership roles in a workplace, planning for a rotation of employees in charge of different stages of business operation allows strategic deployment of human assets. Giving people the opportunity to take charge and collaborate in situations that test their range of skills will allow them to get to know the business better and work against the infamous silo effect that has plagued so many businesses and their ability to build skills and productivity.
