Managing Time Zones in Global Teams

Atlassian has been fully distributed for almost five years. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve learned a lot about how to keep teams thriving across time zones—and we’re applying those insights every day.  ➡️ Asynchronous work: Async tools are at the core of how we operate. Confluence is our virtual hub where we share stories, celebrate new hires, and collaborate effortlessly. We also use Loom to share videos and give feedback on our own time—avoiding those dreaded “this could have been an email” moments. In fact, we’ve saved nearly half a million meetings using Loom! ➡️ Designing workdays: We’ve learned to structure workdays for focus, collaboration, and meetings (only when absolutely necessary). Teams work across no more than two time zones, ensuring at least four hours of overlap to get things done together. ➡️ Intentional connection: Data shows that real connection happens when teams meet regularly—not sporadically in an office. We provide Intentional Togetherness Gatherings (ITGs), curated experiences, and focused in-person time to collaborate. ➡️ Adapting for different needs: It’s not one-size-fits-all. For example, new hires and grads often benefit from more frequent in-person meetups, so we make sure to offer opportunities for them to connect early on. https://lnkd.in/g2sSbe3v

If You're Struggling With Workplace Inclusion, Try This...   → Neurodiversity Integration Framework   Last week, I audited a Fortune 500 company's workspace. What I discovered was shocking. Their "inclusive" office was actually excluding 15% of their talent pool.   The bright fluorescent lights. The open office chaos. The rigid 9-5 schedule.   All of these were silent barriers keeping neurodivergent employees from performing at their best.   Here's what we implemented:   1.   Sensory Zones - Created dedicated quiet spaces - Installed adjustable lighting - Provided noise-canceling equipment   2.   Communication Flexibility - Introduced written and verbal instruction options - Implemented structured feedback systems - Added visual aids for complex processes     3.   Adaptive Scheduling - Flexible work hours - Remote work options - Designated decompression areas   Living with cerebral palsy taught me this:   When you design for accessibility, you create excellence for everyone. The most successful companies aren't just accepting differences - they're leveraging them.   The India Autism Center has been pioneering this transformation, offering guidance to companies ready to embrace change.   The question isn't whether to create autism-friendly workplaces.   It's why haven't we done it sooner?   #asksumit   #iac

Following meeting agendas and finishing meetings on time are inclusive behaviours that’re truly underestinated. “If we skip this break we can finish 30-minutes earlier than planned” or “Does anyone mind if I do this agenda in a different order?”. Hands up if you’ve said one of the above. I know I have! Agendas exist for a reason. They tell people what they need to prepare in advance, and they also give an idea of what will be discussed at the meeting. Many people will prepare in advance, and some may even plan what they’re going to say based on the order of the meeting. If you change that at the last minute, it can be disorienting for many different types of people. Similarly, break times are important. You should aim to plan at least a 10-minute break for every hour of meeting you have, and you should also plan at least a 45-minute lunch break (preferably an hour) if it’s an all-day meeting. Importantly, though, you need to stick to these break times. Some disabled people will plan their personal care support schedule around meeting break times, some might plan ‘down time’ for their brains to rest and give the best they can to a discussion, some might need to take breaks to support their adjustments (e.g taking a guide dog out) or some might need to get out of the meeting room (virtual or physical) for other reasons. It shouldn’t be incumbent on them to declare their needs publicly in order to secure time that’s already in the agenda. Disabled people shouldn’t suffer because of poor meeting mismanagement. If you need to recover time or finish earlier, cut your content accordingly and not your break times. #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content

Today I am off to the House of Lords ( https://lnkd.in/eTSUGdxi) to give evidence relating to the review of the Autism Act 2009 and present some of the work from the Academic Panel set up earlier this year. https://lnkd.in/eAjMKSHr We are busy collating this evidence at present and identifying the gaps in knowledge and research. Some of the papers we are reviewing are highlighting the following.... Flexible Working: A Critical Lever for Equity in Employment There is precarity and underemployment.... Neurodivergent people are: 2× more likely to be in precarious roles 10× more likely to be in temporary employment More likely to experience underemployment and lower job tenure Not significantly different in pay—when roles are equivalent *What can we learn from this? Structural Barriers: These disparities persist despite legal protection under the Equality Act (2010). Traditional recruitment and working models remain exclusionary by design. The Flexibility Gap :Flexible and homeworking practices are less accessible to neurodivergent employees—despite these adjustments being disproportionately beneficial to them. Not a one size solution though! 🏢 Implications for Employers 🔧 Rethink “Reasonable Adjustments” :Proactively offer universal flexible working practices (e.g., flexitime, compressed hours, remote options) to reduce stigma around disclosure. Don’t wait for formal disclosure—design inclusively from the start as many ND people remain concerned about disclosing - this has actually increased/not decreased in the past few year. 📍 Design for belonging for all : Enable non-stigmatising adjustments like asynchronous communication, sensory-friendly environments, and variable schedules.Integrate feedback from neurodivergent staff to evaluate and evolve practices. Listening to ERGs can make a difference. 📈 Invest in retention :Underemployment and low tenure indicate a lack of sustainable employment models. Hiring is expensive! Support career progression through mentoring, clear promotion pathways, and job-crafting. Transition planning and preparation from education to employment is important. 🧭 What can employers start to do now... HR Leaders: Audit current flexible working access and uptake across neurodivergent staff. Line Managers: Normalise flexible arrangements in teams. Promote without requiring formal diagnoses. Exec Teams: Embed neuroinclusive design in workplace strategy—not as an add-on, but as a productivity enabler. This is a change in mind set! Source: Branicki et al. (2024) – Factors shaping the employment outcomes of neurodivergent and neurotypical people- https://lnkd.in/eYYVEnWR)

The lesson I take from so many dispersed teams I’ve worked with over the years is that great collaboration is not about shrinking the distance. It is about deepening the connection. Time zones, language barriers, and cultural nuances make working together across borders uniquely challenging. I see these dynamics regularly: smart, dedicated people who care deeply about their work but struggle to truly see and understand one another. One of the tools I often use in my work with global teams is the Harvard Business School case titled Greg James at Sun Microsystems. It tells the story of a manager leading a 45-person team spread across the U.S., France, India, and the UAE. When a major client system failed, the issue turned out not to be technical but human. Each location saw the problem differently. Misunderstandings built up across time zones. Tensions grew between teams that rarely met in person. What looked like a system failure was really a connection failure. What I find powerful about this story, and what I see mirrored in so many organizations today, is that the path forward is about rethinking how we create connection, trust, and fairness across distance. It is not where many leaders go naturally: new tools or tighter control. Here are three useful practices for dispersed teams to adopt. (1) Create shared context, not just shared goals. Misalignment often comes from not understanding how others work, not what they’re working on. Try brief “work tours,” where teams explain their daily realities and constraints. Context builds empathy, and empathy builds speed. (2) Build trust through reflection, not just reliability. Trust deepens when people feel seen and understood. After cross-site collaborations, ask: “What surprised you about how others see us?” That simple reflection can transform relationships. (3) Design fairness into the system. Uneven meeting times, visibility, or opportunities quickly erode respect. Rotate schedules, celebrate behind-the-scenes work, and make sure recognition travels across time zones. Fairness is a leadership design choice, not a nice-to-have. Distance will always be part of global work, but disconnection doesn’t have to be. When leaders intentionally design for shared understanding, reflected trust, and structural fairness, I've found, distributed teams flourish. #collaboration #global #learning #leadership #connection Case here: https://lnkd.in/eZfhxnGW

The quickest way to lose a decision in a global team is to speak the right language in the wrong culture. I’ve sat in too many “same page” meetings where everyone walked out convinced the other side didn’t get it. After 13 years in Europe and now in the US, I see the pattern repeat in global FMCG. With the UK, tone carries as much weight as content. “Interesting” often means “not convinced.” “Let’s park this” usually means “no.” Humor is a tool to lower the temperature before a tough point lands. You win the room by bringing a balanced case, letting stakeholders react, then following up quietly with crisp next steps. Corridor consensus matters as much as the meeting itself. With France, ideas come first. Leaders want a coherent narrative, the strategic why, and the principles that will hold under pressure. Debate is respect, not resistance. If the story is strong, the resources follow. Bring options framed as choices with consequences, show the thinking, and expect smart pushback. If you are allergic to intellectual challenge, you will misread the room. With Switzerland, preparation is the love language. A clear pre-read sent on time. Risks and mitigations listed. Owners named. If the governance is tight, speed is possible. Pilots are welcomed when guardrails are explicit, service levels protected, and the impact on partners is thought through. Precision builds trust, and trust unlocks tempo. The American instinct is to move. Ship a pilot, learn in market, fix in public. That energy is valuable, but it lands better when paired with the UK’s stakeholder rhythm, France’s clarity of thought, and Switzerland’s discipline on process. What I coach cross-border teams to do: agree the “decision dialect” before the meeting, are we greenlighting a concept or a finished plan. Share a one-page pre-read 48 hours ahead, problem, options, risks, owner, go or no go. Translate feedback into action, “interesting” equals add proof, “we need alignment” equals map the stakeholders, “gut feel” equals bring a data cut. Split speed from safety, pilot with tight guardrails while the bigger build earns its evidence. Mirror first, then lead. Speak the local operating code well enough to earn trust. Bring your own strengths once the room believes you understand theirs. Curious where this shows up for you right now, which habit would fix half your misfires this quarter? #FMCG #CPG #Leadership #GlobalTeams #Communication #ExecutiveSearch #ConsumerGoods #UK #France #Switzerland #US #Culture #StakeholderManagement

How do you communicate better with colleagues in different time zones? Before joining LinkedIn, I only worked with colleagues in one time zone: Sydney. Since joining the LinkedIn News team, I work with teammates in different time zones ranging from easy (San Francisco) to tricky (London). Here's what I learned from the experience: 🕛 If you're sending regular messages or weekly emails, schedule your message so it reaches in your colleagues' inbox at the right time. For example, for an upcoming list launch, my New York-based colleague Sarah McGrath thoughtfully schedules a weekly Slack message and a weekly email on a Friday her time so it lands in my inbox on a Monday morning my time. ☀️ If you have to schedule a Teams/Zoom meeting out of work hours, ask the person what their preferred time is. For example, Australians* much prefer early morning meetings to late night meetings. (*Based on a quick survey of my Australian colleagues) 🌇 Beware of recurring meetings and daylight savings. Did you know most countries don't have daylight savings? It meant my monthly meeting with my colleagues in Singapore and India resulted in calendar conflicts when Australia switched over to daylight saving hours. If you have any asynchronous communication tips, let me know in the comments!

🌐 "How can we lead inclusive team meetings when our team is so widely distributed across timezones?" That's a question our #Inclusion Strategy team at Netflix has been reflecting on quite a bit lately – and that's surely not an issue we face alone. Here are some ideas that popped up as we put our geographically distance heads together to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in discussions that are relevant to all: 1️⃣ Establish a Meeting Time Rotation: to ensure fair participation, create a rotating schedule for your meetings. This means alternating meeting times to accommodate different time zones, so that each team member has an opportunity to attend during their regular working hours on a rotating basis. 2️⃣ Consider Core Overlapping Hours: identify the core overlapping hours when the majority of team members are available. Aim to schedule important meetings during these hours to maximize attendance. This may require some flexibility from all team members, but it fosters a sense of shared responsibility for ensuring everyone's voice can be heard. 3️⃣ Prioritise Meeting Relevance: ensure that meetings are called only when it's essential for all team members to be present. Avoid scheduling meetings for routine updates that can be shared asynchronously, giving team members more flexibility to manage their schedules. 4️⃣ Create Pre-Meeting Materials: provide agendas, and key discussion points well in advance, so team members who cannot attend live sessions can still contribute their input asynchronously. This way, everyone can stay informed and engaged in the decision-making process. 5️⃣ Encourage Rotating Facilitation: consider rotating meeting facilitators to accommodate different time zones. This not only distributes the responsibility but also allows team members from various geographies to lead discussions and bring diverse perspectives to the forefront. 6️⃣ Use Inclusive Meeting Technologies: leverage virtual meeting tools with features like real-time chat and polling to foster engagement from all participants, regardless of their location. Consider having all meetings recorded by default (unless there's a compelling reason not to), streamlining access to the team immediately after each recording is ready. 7️⃣ Promote Open Feedback Channels: establish channels for team members to asynchronously provide feedback on meeting times and themes, and communication methods. 8️⃣ Acknowledge and Respect Personal & Cultural Differences: be mindful of cultural practices and observances that may impact team members' availability or participation. Strive to do the same about individuals' needs, too (like dropping kids at school). These strategies can help create an inclusive and equitable approach to meetings, enhancing the chances of all team members feeling valued and empowered to contribute. How else can you foster that? 🤔

🤐 "Dead Air" on Zoom? It’s Not Disengagement — It’s Cultural. 🌏 Your global team is brilliant, but meetings are met with silence. You ask for input, and… nothing. It’s not that they don’t care. It’s cultural. In many cultures, challenging a leader publicly can feel disrespectful. Speaking up might risk "losing face." So, instead of collaboration, you get cautious nods, and critical ideas die quietly. 💥 The cost? Missed feedback, hidden conflicts, derailed timelines, and talent feeling unseen and unheard. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 🚀 Here’s how to encourage real participation and build trust across cultures — starting today. 1️⃣ Invite opinions privately first. Many cultures value privacy and may hesitate to disagree publicly. Before the meeting, send out an agenda and ask for input by email or private chat. This gives team members time to reflect and feel safer sharing. 2️⃣ Create "round robin" sharing moments. During the call, explicitly invite each person to share, one by one. Use phrases like: "I’d love to hear a quick insight from everyone, no wrong answers." This reduces the fear of interrupting or "stepping out of line." 3️⃣ Model vulnerability as a leader. Share your own uncertainties or challenges first. For example: "I’m not sure this is the best approach — I’d really value your perspective." When you show it’s safe to be open, your team will follow. 4️⃣ Acknowledge and validate contributions publicly. After someone shares, affirm them clearly. For example: "Thank you for that perspective — it really helps us see this from a new angle." This builds psychological safety and encourages future participation. 5️⃣ Use cultural "mirroring" techniques. Mirror verbal and non-verbal cues appropriate to different cultures (e.g., nodding, using supportive phrases). Show respect for varying communication styles instead of forcing a "one-size-fits-all" dynamic. ✨Imagine meetings where every voice is heard and your team’s full potential is unlocked. Ready to stop the silence and turn diversity into your superpower? #CulturalCompetence #GlobalLeadership #InclusiveTeams #PsychologicalSafety #CrossCulturalCommunication 

Having remote teams across continents bring both opportunities and challenges. How do you get it right? Working with global teams, especially when spread across drastically different time zones, is a reality many product managers face today. It can stretch your collaboration skills and test your patience. But, done right, it can be a powerful way to blend diverse talents and perspectives. Here's how to make it work: 1. Creating Overlaps: Aim for at least an hour or two of overlapping work hours. India's time difference with the US means you'll need to adjust schedules for essential face-to-face time. Some teams in India choose to shift their hours later. This is crucial for addressing any pressing questions. 2. Context is Key: Have regular kickoff meetings and deep dives where all team members can understand the big picture—the customer needs, project goals, and product vision. This enables your engineers to make informed decisions even if you're not available to clarify on-the-spot. 3. Document, Document, Document: While Agile champions minimal documentation, it's unavoidable when teams can't meet frequently. Keep clear records of decisions, questions answered, and the day’s progress. This provides continuity and reduces paralysis when immediate answers aren't possible. 4. Strategic Visits and Camaraderie: If possible, send team members to different locations periodically. This builds relationships and trust, which are invaluable when working remotely. If travel isn't possible, consistent video calls and personal updates help. 5. Local Leadership: Consider having local engineering leads in the same region as your development team. This can bridge gaps and streamline communication, ensuring that strategic and operational alignment occurs naturally. Ultimately, while remote setups have their hurdles, they are not impossible to overcome. With thoughtful planning and open communication, your team can turn these challenges into strengths, fostering innovation and resilience that transcends borders. 🌎