How to Work Around the World
Use different time zones to your advantage., Be careful to avoid mistakes when working across different time zones., Take advantage of today’s technology., Be aware of possible language differences., Realize that there may be cultural differences...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use different time zones to your advantage.
Time zones can be your biggest ally for success when working around the world.
No longer do you need to be bound to the typical 9 AM to 5 PM work day within your time zone.
You can work and complete a project for someone before they even start their day or hold multiple meetings throughout the day and still have time to complete your other daily tasks.
Try to choose your desired working times whether they are traditional or not and allow the time zones to define how you will complete these tasks.
You can also use drastic time differences to have a good work and home life balance, or schedule even more clients throughout the day.
For example, if you are based in California on United States Pacific Standard Time (PST), but your client is in London, you have an eight hour time difference that you can use to your advantage. -
Step 2: Be careful to avoid mistakes when working across different time zones.
When working in different time zones it is important to remember the following:
Remember which time zone the country is in.
It can get very confusing because you naturally think in your time zone.
When you work in multiple countries and time zones, it can get very confusing as to how many hours off they are from you.
Being wrong by just one hour can cause inconveniences.
A good trick here is to jot down the time difference on a sheet of paper for each client and have it handy.
Take into account daylight savings time.
Some time zones do not have daylight savings time, further confusing time differences.
In order to keep things straight, you can either research this over the internet or simply ask your client.
Define the time zone when setting meetings and deadlines.
It is best to set meeting in the other party’s time zone.
For instance, you are on United States Eastern Standard Time (EST) and your client is on US PST.
You can specify the meeting for 9 AM PST in an email and then set your calendar to 12 PM EST. , There are so many options available for individuals to hold meetings and share information with others while set in different locations.
When working with others around the world, it is best to take advantage of these technologies as opposed to frequent travels and/or phone calls, emails and snail mail.
Examples of great technologies available are:
Screen sharing software.
Trainings and other meetings can be done most efficiently through screen sharing since everyone logged onto the software can be granted access to view a common screen.
Video conferencing.
Video conferencing is the next best thing to holding a face-to-face meeting and can increase efficiencies when working in multiple locations.
Cloud based drives.
Documents can be stored in a location where multiple people in multiple areas can access and edit the information.
Cloud based drives are also the easiest way to store complex documents or to avoid frequent edits and confusion when being passed around through email. , Different countries spell words differently, such as “organized” in the US and “organised” in Canada.
There are also different meanings to common words such as “the first floor” means ground level in the US but the first floor above ground level in the UK.
It is important to recognize these differences before any mistakes are made.
Researching the differences between the country you are from and the country you are working with is best to do before getting to work. , Cultures vary throughout the world both outside and inside of business operations.
Therefore it is important to recognize that different cultures handle business relationships and meetings differently.
Before working with another culture, it is important to research and understand these cultural differences in order to minimize mistakes, frustration and potentially offending to the other party. , You tend to get frustrated when your contact takes a bit longer than your liking to come to a decision.
Without understanding the culture, you may think this person just takes too long to make up their mind.
However after understanding the German business culture a little more, you may realize that Germans do not like to rush into any business decision and expect to gain as much information as possible beforehand. , Different countries celebrate different holidays and therefore may be out of the office on days when you are not.
You can use this to your advantage by either taking some time off in your day or scheduling other clients from different areas to fill in the gap and possibly make more money or get ahead on some projects.
Consequently if you are typically off for a holiday that some of your clients do not celebrate, it is important to notify them so they are not expecting you to be available on that day. -
Step 3: Take advantage of today’s technology.
-
Step 4: Be aware of possible language differences.
-
Step 5: Realize that there may be cultural differences.
-
Step 6: For example
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Step 7: you are a US native working with someone in Germany.
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Step 8: Note any special holidays for each country.
Detailed Guide
Time zones can be your biggest ally for success when working around the world.
No longer do you need to be bound to the typical 9 AM to 5 PM work day within your time zone.
You can work and complete a project for someone before they even start their day or hold multiple meetings throughout the day and still have time to complete your other daily tasks.
Try to choose your desired working times whether they are traditional or not and allow the time zones to define how you will complete these tasks.
You can also use drastic time differences to have a good work and home life balance, or schedule even more clients throughout the day.
For example, if you are based in California on United States Pacific Standard Time (PST), but your client is in London, you have an eight hour time difference that you can use to your advantage.
When working in different time zones it is important to remember the following:
Remember which time zone the country is in.
It can get very confusing because you naturally think in your time zone.
When you work in multiple countries and time zones, it can get very confusing as to how many hours off they are from you.
Being wrong by just one hour can cause inconveniences.
A good trick here is to jot down the time difference on a sheet of paper for each client and have it handy.
Take into account daylight savings time.
Some time zones do not have daylight savings time, further confusing time differences.
In order to keep things straight, you can either research this over the internet or simply ask your client.
Define the time zone when setting meetings and deadlines.
It is best to set meeting in the other party’s time zone.
For instance, you are on United States Eastern Standard Time (EST) and your client is on US PST.
You can specify the meeting for 9 AM PST in an email and then set your calendar to 12 PM EST. , There are so many options available for individuals to hold meetings and share information with others while set in different locations.
When working with others around the world, it is best to take advantage of these technologies as opposed to frequent travels and/or phone calls, emails and snail mail.
Examples of great technologies available are:
Screen sharing software.
Trainings and other meetings can be done most efficiently through screen sharing since everyone logged onto the software can be granted access to view a common screen.
Video conferencing.
Video conferencing is the next best thing to holding a face-to-face meeting and can increase efficiencies when working in multiple locations.
Cloud based drives.
Documents can be stored in a location where multiple people in multiple areas can access and edit the information.
Cloud based drives are also the easiest way to store complex documents or to avoid frequent edits and confusion when being passed around through email. , Different countries spell words differently, such as “organized” in the US and “organised” in Canada.
There are also different meanings to common words such as “the first floor” means ground level in the US but the first floor above ground level in the UK.
It is important to recognize these differences before any mistakes are made.
Researching the differences between the country you are from and the country you are working with is best to do before getting to work. , Cultures vary throughout the world both outside and inside of business operations.
Therefore it is important to recognize that different cultures handle business relationships and meetings differently.
Before working with another culture, it is important to research and understand these cultural differences in order to minimize mistakes, frustration and potentially offending to the other party. , You tend to get frustrated when your contact takes a bit longer than your liking to come to a decision.
Without understanding the culture, you may think this person just takes too long to make up their mind.
However after understanding the German business culture a little more, you may realize that Germans do not like to rush into any business decision and expect to gain as much information as possible beforehand. , Different countries celebrate different holidays and therefore may be out of the office on days when you are not.
You can use this to your advantage by either taking some time off in your day or scheduling other clients from different areas to fill in the gap and possibly make more money or get ahead on some projects.
Consequently if you are typically off for a holiday that some of your clients do not celebrate, it is important to notify them so they are not expecting you to be available on that day.
About the Author
Theresa Sanchez
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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