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From Emails to iPad: Best Practices for Communicating with Your Remote Workers

ACDC Accountants (continued…): the last-minute screw-up 

Brian had been stressing for days. His big chance had finally come.  ACDC Accountants had been recommended to Australia's top music store chain, The Oilers! 


He had received an introduction to the CEO, Pete Garrett. He also got an invite to the head office for a presentation. They were looking for a new accountant, and Pete was a very well- connected fellow. Land this client, and a whole new network could open to ACDC Accountants. 


Brian spent days preparing. Everything was going to plan until the morning of the appointment. 


He messaged one of his offshore accountants, Chris. 


Brian: “Chris, I’m about to head to the Oilers. Can you please drop the graphs and data into my slides?” 


Chris: “Sir?” 


Brian: “Yes, the slides, Chris. The ones I showed you yesterday… I told you they were urgent.” 


Chris: “Sorry, sir, I haven’t finished this… I’m on it!” 


Brian (now worried): “I’m leaving in 10 MINS. Are you telling me it’s not done???” 


Chris: “Sorry, sir, I didn’t realise…” 


Brian (getting more worried): “Quick, let’s get on a call and sort this.” 


Turns out Chris hadn’t started, and while Brian thought the job was a simple one, it turned into a half-hour rush job. 


In the end, Brian was late to his meeting. There were a few parts he ‘winged’ in the end. He felt it went well under the circumstances, but not as well as it could have. 


When he got back to the office, he wondered how Chris had dropped the ball so badly. Chris was a reliable person. So, he checked the instructions he’d given. He soon realised he had sent a rushed email to Chris. It was a stream-of-consciousness monologue of ideas, with no due date. Only that it was ‘urgent’. 


His idea of urgent (i.e., drop everything!) was different from Chris'. Chris was going to finish what he was working on first, then swing onto the presentation.  


The Communication Gap: Why It’s Tricky? 

The reason for communication breakdowns with your offshore team is one word: "complexity." 


In a perfect world, all staff work in one office. Being in multiple locations adds new dynamics. In a sense, it’s more than working with an offshore team. It’s working with remote employees generally. The complexity comes about because we can’t see each other. This puts more reliance on technology tools for communication.  Also, cultural and time zone differences can affect things. 


Working in a single location isn't a given anymore. Let’s accept the premise that most firms have embraced remote work. It’s here to stay. The complexity exists and must be managed.  


Best Practices for Communicating with an Offshore Team  


1. Be clear about expectations 

This applies both to the act of delegation and the staff response. Brian should have been clear about his deadline. He should have re-read his email monologue and simplified it. Even better, get on a call with Chris to explain and clarify the details.  


To debrief the screw-up, Brian needs to have a call with Chris and explain his own mistake, as well as Chris’. If Brian gives awful instructions again, Chris will know to ask questions.  


2. The correct technology for communication 

Using text-only instructions, like long emails and chat messages, is an amateur mistake. You might think you are being efficient. But, like a battlefield of land mines, errors and slow progress will frustrate.  


What's a better approach? Make communication visual whenever possible. When it matters, do a video call. Use the screen-share function often. Sometimes people are too busy to coordinate calendars to call each other. Particularly where time zones don’t line up well. In this case, you can use apps like Loom or Voxer (screen and voice recording tools).  


Instant messages and emails still have their place but leave them for low-level stuff. 

At my first job, over 20 years ago, whenever my manager had instructions for me, the notepad would come out. He’d diagram structures and shapes and write out steps for me to take back to my desk. I've found that connecting an iPad to my calls does this surprisingly well. Make things visual! 


3. Bridge cultural gaps 

Filipinos work in a more hierarchical society. In the Philippines, you don’t question your parents. And you don’t question your boss! If your boss asks if you understand her instructions, you nod and hope she doesn't ask you to explain. 


Brian needs to help Chris move beyond this cultural status quo. To clarify details and speak up when he doesn’t understand something. Brian could reinforce this with new hires.


He could say, "I'd rather you ask ten questions than make one mistake." It would make the team comfortable reaching out when they're unsure. 


4. Building Relationships: Going Beyond Task Management 

We would all rather work with people we know, like, and trust. Filipino staff are no different. Drop the work talk from time to time and find out about family or weekend activities. 


Learn some Tagalog words—throwing in some Tagalog always gets a smile. You could hold a monthly “virtual coffee break” with your offshore team. Send them a birthday cake and have them blow out the candles together on a call. Have an online pizza party together.  


Some of us are more relational than others, so do what work for you. Remember that staff relationships are like bank accounts. If you don't make regular deposits, there's nothing to withdraw when you need it.   


The Bottom Line 

Hiring talent is only the start. By taking a bit more time to communicate, an offshore team will grow as if they were right there with you.


In building relationships, you get a more loyal and engaged team.  


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