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Hello Everyone,

I am considering taking a job managing a new and growing technical team in Bangalore India. I am on the east coast, which makes the time difference ten hours. Does anyone have experience managing a team in this way?

My communication plan would be to require a short email from each individual letting me know how their day went and if they had any problems they need me to flatten for them. After I read their emails, we would have two hours of overlap in the morning (Eastern Time). I am going to need to spend much of this time training them, and communicating with them so that I can help to resolve problems before they come in the next morning. At the end of my day, I would reply to their emails. In my emails I would inform them of the issues I have been working on (that pertain to them) and make sure that their direction is clear.

The team is only four people right now, but the plan is to grow by two people each quarter. As the team grows, I am not sure how it would be possible to conduct one-on-ones.

The world is flat? It depends on your perspective... The sun does not see it that way! :D

In the nature of full disclosure, each team member will be coming here to train for three months. This will at least allow me to establish an initial relationship with them.

Thanks everyone,
- Ben

ctomasi's picture

Be sure to start those one-on-ones right away!

I have a similar situation with a team member in Malaysia (14 hours ahead of me). Skype comes in very handy for voice (and chat) communications for free. Skype can be found at www.skype.com.

Do you plan on regular trips to India?

trandell's picture

Regular O3s and team meetings are a *must*. Before changing roles early in 2006, I managed a team with people in New York, Atlanta, London and Tokyo. You have to make the effort and commit to the phone time as that is your main way to maintain the relationship.

Depending on the nature of the work, a daily status report may be too much, so encouraging more frequent e-mail traffic is a help. I found tremendous value in making the time to place 10 minute "How are you? What's new?" calls in addition to O3s and team meetings. Though short, every little counts in a long distance relationship.

Get a standard status reporting template worked out and be very clear on when you want status reports and the level of detail you expect. That helped me round out the picture of what the team was working on.

Definitely get educated on Indian culture. Speak with co-workers in your US office on their experiences and Google for research. Understanding your team's culture(s) is extremely important in understanding how that influences their thinking and behavior.

The key for me was communicate, communicate and communicate. By all means available as often as possible.

Gareth's picture

[quote="trandell"]
The key for me was communicate, communicate and communicate. By all means available as often as possible.[/quote]

Maybe also consider putting in place a method of communication so your team can contact you in the event of a serious matters out of your office hours.

trandell's picture

[quote="Gareth"]Maybe also consider putting in place a method of communication so your team can contact you in the event of a serious matters out of your office hours.[/quote]

Great point. At my firm, all IT people are required to list their work, mobile and home numbers in the corporate directory. Unless on vacation or personal leave, we (especially managers) are reachable 24x7 and everyone knows it.