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Manage Global Teams

Effectively lead a geographically dispersed and culturally diverse team.

  • Geographic expansion is a top priority for small to mid-sized companies who recognize the importance of new markets for business sustainability.
  • Because of this expansion, and also due to the increase of computer-mediated communication technologies, global teams are becoming more common.
  • Managing a global team poses challenges that local managers don’t usually encounter, such as understanding different cultures, communicating across time zones, and a lack of face-to-face meetings.

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Critical Insight

  • While the competencies required to manage a global team are the same as those needed to manage a local team, managers of global teams must invest time and effort into understanding cultural differences, setting the team’s direction, setting performance expectations, and empowering appropriately.
  • Cultural differences are the most significant difference, and managers are responsible for not only understanding the differences themselves, but also facilitating understanding of the differences among team members.
  • Trust building has the highest impact on global team success and should be a primary area of focus for global team leaders.

Impact and Result

  • This solution set will walk you through the main activity areas by providing best practices associated with setting direction, performance expectations, building trust, and empowering appropriately.
  • It will assist you with a comprehensive list of topics to cover in the first team meeting and also provides tools and templates to help leaders understand team members better, build a project plan, and record team member decision rights.

Manage Global Teams Research & Tools

1. Effectively manage global teams

Improve global team success.

2. Learn more about my team members

Understand how to best communicate with team members and keep them motivated.

3. Record team details, members, goals, and keep track of milestones

Keep track of project deliverables.

4. Decide on decision-making rights

Appropriately empower team members.

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About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

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Contributors

  • McLean & Company conducted a Global Teams survey that captured responses on current practices and trends from approximately 52 HR and IT professionals in August and September 2012.
  • McLean & Company conducted 11 interviews with thought leaders and HR practitioners between August and September 2012, including:
    • Roald Anderson-Röed, Global IT Manager, OrbusNeich Medical Ltd.
    • George Begg, IT Director, Eastern Region, FMC Technologies
    • Colleen Garton, President of Garton Consulting Group and author of Managing Without Walls
    • Michael Marquardt, President of Global Learning Associates and author of 24 books on leadership, globalization, and action learning
    • Aaron McKenzie, Head of HR, HSBC Private Bank
    • Shahid Najmi, Manager of Training and Development, GENPACT LLC, Johnson Controls
    • Bob Saggers, President, Robert Saggers & Associates