If you look at the modern workplace, things appear a little different than they did in the past. While there are still plenty of more traditional workplaces where employees living in the same area commute to offices, the model has changed somewhat. Now, it is relatively common to see companies that have no physical offices. And what’s more, their employees are scattered across various locations, each with their own home office. In particular, there are a large number of teams that include both Latin Americans and people from the US and Canada. Managing an international team, while an exciting opportunity to be sure, can be tricky to get right. Read on to make sure you are able to use the best strategies possible!
Time Zone Challenges
The first challenge that team leaders may come across while managing an international team is the time difference. From the westernmost reaches of Alaska to the eastern tip of Brazil, the Americans span a whopping eight time zones. While doing independent work wouldn’t cause many issues, the challenging part arises when a manager seeks to arrange a meeting. What is one to do when your social media manager lives in Los Angeles, but your IT specialist is a porteño from Buenos Aires? Even the matter of deadlines can get tricky. If a project is due “by the end of the day on Friday”, whose “end of the day” are we talking about?
One strategy is to choose one time zone as the “home” time zone, preferably one near the middle (for example, US Central Time). Setting a standard in this way helps avoid misunderstandings. And in terms of setting meeting times, rotating them might be the best way to go. This way, while your LA employee might have an early 8am meeting and your Argentine employee might have a late 8pm meeting, at least each will alternate having a chance to meet during so-called “core hours”.
Differing Laws & Holidays
Another challenge to navigate when managing an international team is the difference in labor laws, public holidays, and benefits expectations. The US is notorious for not requiring companies to give any paid time off or maternity leave. Other countries, meanwhile, have a more generous benefits package enshrined in the local laws. HR must be aware of these differences, and respect them so as to continue attracting international talent. Additionally, managers need to be flexible when it comes to nationally mandated holidays. While some dates match up (like Christmas), they may find that half of their team is off one day due to Memorial Day or Annexation of Nicoya Day. By avoiding scheduling deadlines or important trainings on these days, issues can be avoided and all employees can benefit from the time off that the rest of their fellow citizens enjoy.
Communication Styles while Managing an International Team
One of the most well-known differences between US/Canadian culture and Latin American culture is related to communication styles. US employees might be used to a direct conversational style, where saying “no” is not a big deal and formality is a waste of time. This approach can make Latino employees feel uncomfortable. They may be more used to indirect communication, avoiding saying “no”, and adjusting the formality of their speech depending on who they are speaking to. It is ill-advised to mandate one approach or the other, and ignoring these differences is not the solution either. Rather, anyone managing an international team should encourage team members to be understanding with their co-workers. A Canadian boss giving feedback to a Colombian employee should be mindful of how feedback is delivered. In turn, the employee should not shy away from saying “no” so as to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
Support for ESL Employees
Ideally, a cross-cultural workplace would be made up of employees who are fluent in each other’s home language. While this magical company staffed by bilingual employees may exist somewhere, the reality is that anyone managing an international team will have to deal with varying levels of fluency. A baseline level is certainly advisable (eg. requiring B2-level English to work on an English-speaking team), and Google Translate helps as well. However, managers can offer guidance to their team in order to make things flow smoothly. Using plain English without any overdone corporate jargon and providing feedback in written form can help ESL employees avoid feeling lost. Giving important guidelines in both languages will go a long way towards preventing misunderstandings. And if you’re looking for English classes to help your employees improve their fluency, why not have them take classes at Craving?
Avoiding North America-Centrism while Managing an International Team
Wherever there is a cross-country team, it is natural to observe that employees from the same country will gravitate towards each other. This is especially true for Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking employees, since they may feel tired after using English all day and want to interact with other employees who speak the same home language. However, when the management team is composed mostly of American or Canadian English-speakers, this point of view can sometimes be elevated over those of other countries. It is thus very important to make sure that everyone has a voice in decisions, and that the decision-making process reflects the international nature of the company. One way to do this is to highlight regional success stories – if the Central America team has had excellent performance this quarter, they should be praised and their accomplishments celebrated.
In Conclusion…
Managing an international team that spans the Americas is no small feat, but with the right mindset and strategies, it can be incredibly rewarding. By recognizing and respecting cultural differences, setting clear expectations around time zones and holidays, using accessible communication practices, and ensuring all voices are heard, managers can create an environment where everyone thrives. The key is not to erase the differences between team members, but to build a framework where those differences become strengths. With empathy, structure, and a bit of flexibility, your team can collaborate across borders and achieve remarkable results.