Three ways to overcome the challenges of managing a team from another country

Whether you’re working in a different office or even another state to your team, maintaining strong performance, cohesion and collaboration can be difficult. But when your employees are in different countries, it adds an extra layer of complexity – different time zones, lack of face-to-face communication and physical barriers to developing social bonds, all of which can hinder teamwork.

When I made the move to Seoul, South Korea in 2016 to be better placed to source products and engage with suppliers, I discovered this first hand. Our core business involves curating and importing Korean beauty products for the Australian market. Our home office is in Brisbane, Queensland, where the majority of our team is still located.

I realised early on that in order to build the right relationships with our suppliers, stay on top of the latest trends and gain a competitive edge, we needed a presence on the ground in Seoul. While the benefits we have gained from doing this have been innumerable, the move has not been without challenges.

Some of the techniques we use to overcome the physical distance and keep a close bond within our team include bridging the time zones, utilitising technology, maintaining face-time and including my team in our Korean operations, where possible.

  1. Sync working times

Seoul is one hour behind Brisbane and two-three hours behind the rest of Australia, so I make sure to keep the same work hours as the rest of our team. I’m up first thing each morning so I can check what’s come in overnight and help plan for the day.

  1. Leverage technology to aid teamwork and communication

Throughout the working day, our team utilises computer and phone technologies, such as video meetings and group chats to keep everyone in the loop and communicate with each other. Everything the entire team needs to know goes on a group thread so we know who’s responsible for what and we feel like we’re part of a team.

We also hold weekly office meetings every Tuesday morning to report any issues and plan for the next week. These steps are all key to helping us bridge the distance between us.

  1. Don’t underestimate the importance of face-time

Physical face-time is also important, so I make sure I fly back to Brisbane every three-four months. Our team also regularly joins me in Seoul so they have the chance to attend trade shows, see the latest beauty and makeup trends on the streets and meet with our suppliers face to face.

Working for an organisation is more than coming to the office every day to do a role. There’s a social aspect to it that can’t be discounted. For employees to feel truly valued and engaged, it’s important to develop a social relationship alongside the professional relationship.

I try to do this by spending time with them when I’m back in Australia and providing our team with opportunities to see our operations in progress outside of their regular role. Whether that’s attending events, traveling internationally or joining me on the ground in Seoul, it helps to get to know each other better, foster teamwork, let them take ownership of their role, and help them to feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Lauren Lee, Founder, Style Story