Coordinating software developers across countries and time zones is no simple feat. With over 15 years leading international tech teams, John Crighton has honed an effective approach to managing global collaboration. By drawing on his experience as CTO for major healthcare and finance firms, John shares his top three recommendations for uniting distributed software teams.
Understand the Cultural Differences
According to John, the first key to effective global team management is grasping cultural differences. “Different teams have different styles of communication, different ways of working through the hierarchy, and important things like different holidays,” he explains. “Understanding how these cultural differences impact the team, the way they interact within the team, and between different teams is very important.”
John emphasizes being aware of how culture shapes team dynamics. “The way people communicate, make decisions, manage deadlines – it’s all affected by cultural background,” he notes. “You have to be sensitive to that as a manager.”
He advises managers to learn about team members’ cultural norms around areas like:
- Communication style – direct versus indirect; formal versus casual
- Hierarchy and decision-making – centralized authority versus group consensus
- Feedback delivery – public versus private critiques
“Do some research into the cultures you’re working with. It will help avoid misunderstandings down the line,” John suggests. “And don’t make assumptions – let team members explain their cultural preferences.”
Align Working Hours When Possible
Next on John’s list is synchronizing work hours between distributed teams as much as feasible. “We’ve been working with nearshore teams a lot, which makes it easy to align working hours,” he says. “But working in North America with teams from Europe, getting them to work a bit later and our teams to start earlier helps immensely.”
Overlapping team availability through flexible scheduling can be invaluable. “It’s definitely possible to work with Asia-based teams on completely different hours. With good communication and clear expectations, they can work just as well,” he clarifies. “But any time you can arrange partial work hour alignment, it’s ideal.”
Clearly Communicate Deliverables
“It’s hard for software developers to understand exactly what sales and product management want from the product,” John observes. “It’s important for product and development to work together to ensure developers understand deliverables, whether they’re in the U.S. or elsewhere.”
John’s third management tip is a precise deliverable definition. “The better developers understand expected deliverables, the better job they’ll do providing those,” he says.
He notes that communicative product managers are key to:
- Setting realistic milestones aligned with deliverable complexity.
- Involving engineering in setting and planning deliverables.
- Providing detailed specifications and requirements to documents.
- Showing examples of desired functionality when helpful.
- Encouraging and responding thoroughly to developer questions.
Applying Crighton’s Guidance for Global Success
As John summarizes, these three focal points – cultural awareness, work hour coordination, and clear deliverable definition – provide direction for leading distributed teams. “Whether they’re software developers or any other kind of team, these tips should give you clarity and guidance,” he says.
In John’s experience, managers who lead with cultural sensitivity, schedule synchronization, and delivery transparency position global collaborators for success. “The more aligned teams feel, the better the outcomes,” he concludes.
To find out more about John Crighton’s insights on managing international teams and collaborating across borders, check out his LinkedIn profile. His journey leading software teams provides a valuable perspective for guiding global growth and unity through effective leadership.
