International team in Europe
Working together as an international team spread across Europe? Sure, it sounds easy at first. With today’s tools and technologies, there are many possibilities to overcome even large distances with a short video call. But international collaboration also brings some challenges. In order to generate added value from diversity, intercultural variety and experience, a few rules must be followed. Then, collaboration across national borders will also work out.
1. A common corporate culture via Zoom? – No problem!
Coffee dates, virtual team events and annual offsite working week. This way, we feel connected even despite any distances across national borders. We share many commonalities and can experience them together through virtual yoga classes or our regular Lunch n’ Learn events. It doesn’t matter if we are in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden or the Workation location. It’s important to us that we don’t just share ideas about work, and it shows in the team.
2. Clash of Cultures: Challenge or Opportunity?
We all bring different experiences, habits and mindsets with us. International cooperation makes the variety of cultural differences all the greater. It can happen that Spanish tardiness meets German punctuality. Here, mutually agreed rules, clear communication and expectations, and good leadership are particularly important. We do not want to adapt to one cultural group, but rather create a new culture together that is characterized by diversity. We are supported in this by the concept of sociocracy 3.0, which we have been applying in our team check-ins, among other things, since the beginning of June 2022. It is based on joint consensus decisions by the team, clearly elected responsibilities, transparency and continuous improvement, and effectiveness. In this way, we manage to get all team members to share their perspectives, thoughts and also concerns. The result: a variety of ideas and discussions that are implemented full of motivation and fun and lead to great results.
3. Other countries – other customs
Spread across Europe, there are of course not only cultural differences, but also regulations, holidays and festivals that need to be observed. In Sweden, Midsommar is celebrated in June, while Corpus Christi is a public holiday in Catholic Bavaria. We do not have uniform holidays and everyone works according to local calendars. The different working hours and project team setups mean that we can always be there for customers from different regions. And as a team that has grown together with good communication, it also works smoothly to take over each other’s tasks when colleagues have time off.
4. Workation
Workation is commonplace for us. Many of us work here today, there tomorrow. Virtual collaboration creates great opportunities to get a breath of fresh air and still be at work. In the future, we want to establish an interactive world map. Then we can also meet up locally and do workation together.
Remaining thirsty for knowledge?
You are part of an international team and in the future it is planned to enable working from different countries? What are you waiting for? Create structures that improve collaboration in virtual teams.
Feel free to contact us if you want to learn about concrete possibilities and measures for your international and virtual team building and communication. We regularly support the establishment of team, leadership and corporate cultures to bring a successful team closer together, even in different locations.
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