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The Softer Side of Global Delivery – Lessons from Conshohocken to Hyderabad and Back

The Alliance Office in Hyderabad is one of my favorite places to visit.Our teams are enthusiastic, customer-centric, and extremely hard working.There is a constant low rumble of technical discussions, test cases being furiously typed, custom application development, application architecture analysis meetings, training sessions, interviews, and other activities at any moment in our office.

It’s even more special when I’m able to have one of our customers join the trip.The experience is priceless for all parties involved due to the combination of business/domain knowledge being shared, relationships being formed, and pride in their work the team is able to demonstrate to our customer in the work they have completed or in one of our many services, such as automated testing.

Frequent site visits, whether it is the customer traveling to our team in Hyderabad or our team members traveling onshore to the customer location are one of the keys to a successful engagement.There are many, many more.

• Ensure that the roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined up front and recruiting efforts are aligned to these needs.Have key team members / leads involved in the interview process.

Relationship building is critical.

–Three people are essential to fostering the spirit of team: the customer sponsor/main point of contact, the onsite Engagement Manager/Project Manager, and the Offshore Team Lead.

–The team needs to know not only what the tasks are on the project plan, but why this project is so important to the customer.What impact does this work have on the business?How will the project impact people’s lives?The more the team can hear this information from the customer, the better.

–Since the team members are literally thousands of miles away, it’s important that team members get to know each other as much as possible.I’ve found that picture sharing often helps.For instance, making a picture based organization chart and having everyone hang it at their desks will allow them to feel a bit more connected to the voice on the other end of the line.

–Regularly engage in teambuilding activities which allow team members to learn about each other and share a laugh or two.

• I’ve found that when communication and cultural differences are openly discussed it can be a great opportunity to learn how to be a more effective team.This can be done via workshops as well as frequent, open feedback between the onsite and offshore leadership.

Communication Tips

Email Communication Tips:

• Do not use email as a substitute for conveying information that is better suited to face-to-face or phone conversations

• Include the action you expect early in your email, to make it easier for the recipient to find, and respond

• Always have a topic in the subject line and keep the same subject heading when replying. If your message develops into an e-mail chain, it helps to keep track

Video Conference Communication Tips:

• Use a separate audio call to keep audio/video in sync (where necessary)

• Establish rapport with participants as early as possible. Make an effort to learn the names and expectations of people at the other end

Conference Call Communication Tips:

• Start with the agenda and objectives for the call

• Keep the phone on mute when you’re not speaking to minimize background noise, and don’t get distracted by multi-tasking

• When it is your turn, speak clearly and directly into the phone

• No ‘Blackberry Prayers’ during the meeting.Keep distractions to a minimum!

Instant Messenger Communication Tips:

• Instant messaging should not be used to communicate confidential or sensitive information… or anything you wouldn’t want repeated elsewhere

• Do not use instant messaging to bypass formal procedures

• Know when to stop the session

Managing the Time Zone Tips:

• Hang an additional clock in the office for each Time Zone.

• Setup your email calendar / meeting software to show both Time Zones.

What tips do you have? Please comment and share your ideas!