How to build a great global team
Working in an international business, we know all too well that effective communication is key. Morson Group has over 65 offices globally and with that brings employees from many cultures coming together virtually and physically to work towards a common goal.
Xavier Ashurst, who works in Business Development at Morson has worked in our Toronto office for almost two years. In his latest blog, he shares his top tips and tricks that he’s learnt along the way for making a global team work seamlessly.
Working in an international business, we know all too well that effective communication is key. Morson Group has over 65 offices globally and with that brings employees from many cultures coming together virtually and physically to work towards a common goal.
The benefits of working internationally are endless. When we diversify our workplaces, we not only gain access to new perspectives and ideas, but it can open doors that we may not have ever known existed.
That’s not to say that creating a multicultural office will be easy, in fact when it comes to language diversity, it can present some real challenges.
Xavier Ashurst, who works in Business Development at Morson has worked in our Toronto office for almost two years. In his latest blog, he shares his top tips and tricks that he’s learnt along the way for making a global team work seamlessly.
Communicate effectively
Effective communication in any business is good practice. This includes ensuring emails remain professional at all times and talking with respect around the office.
When communicating with international offices, additional factors must be taken into consideration including different time zones and cultural differences. The development of technology now means that thankfully there is a vast array of ways we can communicate whether that be via email, phone, instant messaging or even video call.
The main things to consider are:
What’s the best channel to use if you need an urgent response?
How far in advance do you need to organise conference calls/meetings? Taking into consideration any time zone differences.
What information, if any, should only be accessible by certain colleagues?
Consider cultural differences
As much as effective communication is key to making a global team work, it’s also so important to consider different cultures when communicating.
For example, if you’re from the UK and you’re working in Canada the culture could be completely different. Xav explained that in Canada, even the way that people dress for certain meetings can vary depending on which sector your working in. Understanding the culture of the country that you’re working in comes with experience; the more time you spend in that country with the people the more you learn from them.
Xav discussed the importance of considering cultural differences when working overseas:
“I’ve found that working overseas has given me a broader view of different business practices which has enabled me to work more effectively with varying teams. It’s important to always take into consideration different cultures and beliefs, not only for the country you are visiting/living in but also the cultures of your colleagues who might also be in your team.”
Invest in top translation tech
Along with some cultural changes around the workplace, you could also consider investing in some translation tech. Fortunately, there are some great tools out there that can help break down any language barriers by acting as the link between one language and another.
Built-in text translators
Many computer programmes that we use on a daily basis at work, such as the Microsoft package, have built-in translation tools. We suggest you take an audit of the main programmes you use and investigate whether translation is a feature that they encompass. If not, it may be time to invest in software that does!
Voice and text translation software
At Morson, we have recently invested in ReciteMe. Recite Me is an innovative cloud-based web accessibility tool that lets you customise how your website looks offering a suite of accessibility tools, including read text aloud options and text translation. We are proud that our website can now be translated to over 100 languages, ensuring the same opportunities for all.
Take it online
As we all know, Skype is a great tool to use when you can’t arrange a face-to-face meeting. It enables you to speak to them directly and still see an individual’s body language whilst talking.
Xav added:
“For me, Right Signature has also been a great tool for when I need to get a document signing. If I’ve brought on some new business in Vancouver, for example, which is 5 hours away, I can use Right Signature to sign any document electronically and it just helps speed up the whole process. I think it’s important to always meet the client face-to-face but when you can’t due to distance things like Skype and Right Signature are a real help!”
To find out more about how we’re breaking down language barriers, click here.
