Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 21 | Page 38

TALKING

‘‘ business

Unifying teams remains a challenge despite the unprecedented levels of technology and connectivity available today .
Establishing some sort of overlap during business hours across time zones allow teams to meet with one another regularly without scheduling meetings at unsociable hours and compromising work-life balance .
How to establish a culture of communication across continents
A great way to build trust and establish relationships between team members across cities , countries and continents is to provide them with ample opportunities to communicate with each other .
Regular meetings between managers and employees are essential and should not solely address work-related topics but also personal and non-work-related subjects which helps establish trust through communication .
It also helps to have regular team and company- wide meetings . These keep the entire workforce up-to-date on the company ’ s status , current objectives and the progress being made toward achieving goals .
Utilizing cloud-based messaging and video platforms allows organizations to set up non-work activity and interest chat groups for employees to discuss shared passions such as cooking and music , as well as holding virtual social events that can help in the team building process across regions .
Use video conferencing for meetings where possible as eye contact and facial expressions are key to establishing trust between people . Voiceonly interactions are not as effective at building relationships as face-to-face communication .
The remote and hybrid workplaces we have come to know during the pandemic are here to stay . And the benefits of dispersed remote workers are too many for businesses to ignore .
However , unless organizations are strategic in how they build and communicate with their dispersed workforces , trust will begin to erode and success will be harder to achieve .
Organizations that establish a strong culture of collaboration and a diverse team of top-tier talent will be best placed to succeed in the hybrid work style of the future . p
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