Managing Multiple Locations: Focus on Communication
Systems are a must, technology is important tool however, none of these will work with out real communication, says Martinez. "Communication is the key to collaboration with your offices, coworkers, and clients," he says. If you neglect this aspect of running your business, you do so at your own risk, particularly in a business with multiple locations. That's why Martinez also makes having his employees have time face-to-face a priority by having his offices take turns hosting each other once a year to enable communication between people on all levels.
Other tips for fostering communication between your employees based in the office and elsewhere include:
1. Establish full team weekly staff meetings via phone or webinar to get your whole group together.
2. If possible, have web cams so your team members can see each other.
3. Make each physical site responsible for a specific type of work, rather then assign random tasks associated with a central project.
4. When doable, have the CEO or management members personally visit each remote site on a scheduled basis, every month, for instance.
5. Establish weekly phone-based staff meetings individually with each remote group so that each physical location will get time with top management.
6. If possible, get your whole group together once or twice a year for staff meetings, brainstorming and team building.
Dig Deeper: How to Improve Your Communications Skills
Managing Multiple Locations: The Global Workforce
Managing multiple locations across the U.S. is hard enough. But when you add a new sales office or manufacturing plant overseas, says Bloom, you can actually run into a host of new challenges associated with cross-cultural communication that include:
1. Time zones. There is limited or no overlap in the standard workday.
2. Language. Even if everyone has a common language, English for example, differences in accents, language fluency, and the use of slang expressions can make communication extremely difficult, particularly on conference calls and speakerphones.
3. Social norms. Cultural differences from country to country can accidentally cause tension, embarrassment, and miscommunication.
3. Holiday schedules. Scheduled meetings, reporting deadlines, cash flows and standard business processes can be derailed or delayed based on local holiday schedules.
4. Technical connectivity. Not all countries have high-speed connectivity at all locations.
5. Labor laws. Laws regarding hiring, employee termination, hours worked, layoffs, sexual harassment differ from country to country.
6. Business-related laws, ethics, and practices. Business is conducted very differently from country to country.
7. Personal-privacy laws. In European Union member states, the laws regarding the personal use, storage, and transport of personal information are quite stringent compared with those in the U.S.
Dig Deeper: Building the Best Virtual Workforce
Managing Multiple Locations: Adapting to Different Cultures
Bloom suggests tackling these challenges by considering the following tips:
1. Find one key contact in each country that is very knowledgeable in local customs, business practices, and laws.
2. Learn to pronounce people's names correctly.
3. Gain a basic understanding of country politics and current events.
4. Know the names of your managers and leaders in those countries and pronounce their names correctly.
5. Find ways to take advantage of the time zone differences.
6. Be respectful of the differences between people and cultures.
The bottom line in managing multiple locations, says Martinez, is to help make everyone in your company feel motivated and part of the team, regardless of where they do their work. "When your people feel good and that they matter, they will perform better," he says.
Dig Deeper: How to Be a Lead Teams in Emerging Markets
Managing Multiple Locations: Additional Resources
Corporate Agility: A Revolutionary New Model for Competing in a Flat World, by Charles Grantham, James P. Ware and Cory Williamson (AMACOM, 2007.) This book will show you how to get your company to embrace new technology, understand the ever-changing workforce, and rethink the way you structure work environments to deal with the global economy.
Competing in a Flat World: Building Enterprises for a Borderless World, by Victor K. Fung, William K. Fung and Yoram (Jerry) Wind (Wharton School Publishing, 2007.) A book filled with solid tips to create a flexible organization capable of competing anywhere.
The Facility Management Handbook, by David G. Cotts Kathy O. Roper and Richard P. Payant (AMACOM, 2009.)
A great reference guide for understanding and implementing best practices for the modern workplace.
