8 Tips for Working With Global Business Partners and Colleagues
The current economy continues to change the way we do business, especially global business.
In more prosperous times there might have been enough budget to fly to Europe for a face-to-face meeting with a colleague or a short trip to China to meet a new business partner.
But now more than ever, small businesses have to come to rely on less expensive means to connect with coworkers, customers and partners abroad.
Over the course of my career, I've been fortunate to work with people from all over the world and be a member of many global, virtual teams.
From China to Mexico, from Australia to Germany, from the United Kingdom to New Zealand - you name the country and I've had a colleague there.
I've always enjoyed this part of my job, but it can also be quite challenging.
So the question is:When you are thousands of miles apart, how do you truly connect and collaborate with global business partners and colleagues? Some things I've learned the hard way and some things I've learned from managers and/or peers.
Here is my list of 8 tips for working with global business partners and colleagues.
1.
Learn to greet people courteously in their language and always keep their cultures' customs in mind.
This immediately creates an atmosphere of respect and helps solidify business relationships.
Take five minutes to browse the internet to learn how to say hello and pronounce their name correctly.
I often use hearnames.
com to hear a native speaker pronounce the name for me.
2.
Speak and write clearly.
Using formal English will help non-native English speakers understand what you are saying.
Avoid colloquialisms, slang and culture specific jargon whenever possible.
3.
Find appropriate times to hold conference calls.
Most likely you'll be dealing with multiple time zones.
The World Clock Meeting Planner is a great tool to help you coordinate an appropriate time to schedule a meeting that works for both parties.
4.
Create detailed agendas.
Often your meetings will be held at times that are very late in the evening or early in the morning for one or both parties.
Detailed agendas keep the meeting on track and on time.
It also keeps the meeting from running over so your colleagues can get home to their families or in bed if that is necessary.
5.
Share content and presentations at least 2 hours before the meeting.
This is an absolute must.
You need to give people time to download and review the information before the meeting.
This will ensure that your meetings start on time and everyone is on the same page from the beginning.
6.
Make meetings interactive with conferencing solutions.
When you are trying to bridge a massive divide, give each team member the opportunity to present or speak.
If you are working with a very large number of people, use conferencing software with online polls to help people engage.
7.
Make it easy to share information and collaborate at all hours.
Setting up an extranet or online collaboration site can make it easier to share files, tasks and have team discussions when you can't connect via phone.
8.
Share successes.
Make sure you are communicating about and finding ways to celebrate team victories in a virtual way.
In more prosperous times there might have been enough budget to fly to Europe for a face-to-face meeting with a colleague or a short trip to China to meet a new business partner.
But now more than ever, small businesses have to come to rely on less expensive means to connect with coworkers, customers and partners abroad.
Over the course of my career, I've been fortunate to work with people from all over the world and be a member of many global, virtual teams.
From China to Mexico, from Australia to Germany, from the United Kingdom to New Zealand - you name the country and I've had a colleague there.
I've always enjoyed this part of my job, but it can also be quite challenging.
So the question is:When you are thousands of miles apart, how do you truly connect and collaborate with global business partners and colleagues? Some things I've learned the hard way and some things I've learned from managers and/or peers.
Here is my list of 8 tips for working with global business partners and colleagues.
1.
Learn to greet people courteously in their language and always keep their cultures' customs in mind.
This immediately creates an atmosphere of respect and helps solidify business relationships.
Take five minutes to browse the internet to learn how to say hello and pronounce their name correctly.
I often use hearnames.
com to hear a native speaker pronounce the name for me.
2.
Speak and write clearly.
Using formal English will help non-native English speakers understand what you are saying.
Avoid colloquialisms, slang and culture specific jargon whenever possible.
3.
Find appropriate times to hold conference calls.
Most likely you'll be dealing with multiple time zones.
The World Clock Meeting Planner is a great tool to help you coordinate an appropriate time to schedule a meeting that works for both parties.
4.
Create detailed agendas.
Often your meetings will be held at times that are very late in the evening or early in the morning for one or both parties.
Detailed agendas keep the meeting on track and on time.
It also keeps the meeting from running over so your colleagues can get home to their families or in bed if that is necessary.
5.
Share content and presentations at least 2 hours before the meeting.
This is an absolute must.
You need to give people time to download and review the information before the meeting.
This will ensure that your meetings start on time and everyone is on the same page from the beginning.
6.
Make meetings interactive with conferencing solutions.
When you are trying to bridge a massive divide, give each team member the opportunity to present or speak.
If you are working with a very large number of people, use conferencing software with online polls to help people engage.
7.
Make it easy to share information and collaborate at all hours.
Setting up an extranet or online collaboration site can make it easier to share files, tasks and have team discussions when you can't connect via phone.
8.
Share successes.
Make sure you are communicating about and finding ways to celebrate team victories in a virtual way.
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