Maintaining a Cohesive
Team Across Borders
By Francoise Tourniaire, founder and principal of FT Works

People make support organizations work well and that’s especially true for global organizations where distance, language, and culture differences make communications and teamwork more challenging. Whether you are based at headquarters or in a remote office, here are the 10 behaviors that will bridge oceans and unleash the power of the global organization.

Speak the mother tongue. If you are in a remote center you may have been recruited for your exotic language skills but the way to get things done is to speak the language spoken at headquarters – and speak it well. Some people say that speaking in a language you don’t master well takes 40 points off your IQ. That’s not a happy subtraction for most of us! If your language skills are weak, update them. The company may well pay for this

Learn the local customs. Start by understanding the rhythm of work in each support center. In some areas (the West Coast of the United States, the Netherlands) people get to work early. In others, you have a better chance of finding people at their desks late in the day. You won't get anything done Thanksgiving week in the US, and you won't get anything done in France between July 14th and August 15th.

Some countries are more formal that others. If the headquarters is on the West Coast of the US, expect very informal standards of dress and communications, which do not mean either disrespect or lack of intensity at work.

Travel. Make time to visit other support centers in a regular basis. There’s no substitute to getting a real feel for what’s happening around the world. Observing your counterparts in their environments should be enlightening and inspiring. If possible, encourage individuals at various levels of the organization to travel as well.

Keep in touch. Whether or not you have an opportunity to visit other offices, make it a point to cultivate a positive relation with individuals around the world. Set up a regular schedule for keeping in touch with your contacts and don't call them only when you have a problem and you need their help. Try to establish a personal relationship as well as a business one. Decent language skills are a big help here.

Listen. Unless you recently lived in a foreign country, you don’t really know what’s going on there. Listen with an open mind to what other support centers are saying.

Include all centers in strategic decisions. Don’t try to make decisions solely from headquarters. Seek out opinions and participation from all the centers for both large and small projects, even if it adds to the timeline. My experience is that remote centers often house staffers with many years of experience: why not put all that expertise to good use?

Stay up late. A harsh reality of the global organization is that you can never sleep, and no amount of technology will ever resolve the fact that the Earth is round. It's a pain to be on conference calls that start at 6pm – or 6am – but arrange your schedule to be available during your counterparts' business hours. For recurring meetings, suggest that other attendees return the favor so you're not always the one stuck with the inconvenient schedule.

Be hospitable. Especially if you are in a remote center, welcome visitors. Do all you can to be more than "the support guy in Sydney". If you've taken them to Manly Beach, they will remember you fondly!

Don't reinvent the wheel. You may be tempted to create special processes and special tools to serve the unique needs of customers in your region. Resist the temptation. Whenever possible, reuse good ideas that were invented elsewhere. Consistency is important in support organizations that support global customers and reuse is cheaper than reinvention. If you do create a special process, share it generously. Encourage cross-pollination between centers rather than expecting all the right answers to descend from headquarters

Let your metrics achievements speak on your behalf. You may find that globally-applied metrics are misleading when applied to your particular area, but that’s what you will be judged on. Even if you are not the boasting type, make sure that tangible information is accurate and will tell a good story. If your metrics are poor because they are incorrect, spend the time and effort to get them corrected. It will help you in the long term.

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About the Author

Francoise Tourniaire is the founder and principal of FT Works, a consulting firm that helps technology companies create and grow their support operations. She’s the author of One Big, Happy, Multicultural Family? Managing the Global Support Operation. For more information, visit www.ftworks.com or call 650 559 9826.