Managing Expectations With Global Teams

I’ve led a global team of 180+ employees across the US and India, and here’s what I see most teams get wrong in a global setup: They communicate decisions, but forget to communicate how they arrive at them. That’s a problem. Because when you're building across time zones and cultures, the real challenge isn’t language or even the rapidity of execution. Oftentimes, it’s alignment. Early at Rocketlane, we made a simple change that paid off well for us: We made every key decision a discussion. Even if it was just a Slack thread saying: “Here’s why I believe this is the right move. Thoughts?” We realized that if we wanted cohesion, we had to over-communicate not just what we were doing, but why we believed it was the right move. Yes, it takes longer initially, but that initial alignment speeds up execution later on. Your global team isn't just working across time zones; they're working across different communication styles, cultural contexts, and decision-making frameworks. Bridge those gaps with intentional conversation, not efficiency shortcuts. When people understand why, they align more quickly and execute more effectively.

Nothing says ‘global team’ like waking up to decisions you weren’t part of. Surprise! A major decision was made while you were sleeping. No context. No input. Just a directive from HQ that ignores half the reality on the ground. Every global company I’ve worked for has had one main office where senior leadership sits. This is great for leadership; it makes communication easy for THEM. The issue is that every other office becomes “remote” by default, and they all end up playing catch-up with the decisions that were made in a single time zone. I can’t count the number of times I woke up to find that an inconvenient or downright impossible decision had been made in the “main office.” As the senior tech leader in my office, I would then spend my morning: → Tracking down the actual source of the decision. → Understanding what critical details they were missing. → Finding a way to clarify (or outright fix) the decision before it caused bigger issues. These decisions weren’t always bad, and they were almost never ill-intentioned. However, they were almost always made casually based off of bad or incomplete information. In a few cases, people used this dynamic to their advantage, knowing they could push decisions through without all stakeholders present. If you’re in a remote office and wake up to a surprise decision, here’s how to advocate for your team: 1) Don’t react immediately. Acknowledge the decision, but don’t start executing until you understand all the details. 2) Identify the real decision-maker. In large organizations, this can be harder than it should be. 3) Gather the missing facts. What key context do they not have? What data changes the equation? 4) Push for clarity. Engage directly with the decision-maker to ensure the decision is fully informed before it moves forward. If you’re the one making decisions across time zones, don’t be THAT leader. No one likes a leader who leaves entire regions out of critical decisions. Instead: a) Include global teams in the process. This is necessary for having a complete picture. b) Document your decisions properly. Why was it made? What data was used? Who owns it? c) Respect different time zones. If a decision impacts people across the world, don’t finalize it without their input. Has this ever happened to you? How did you handle it? For a live discussion on this topic and others relating to large-scale tech, join Ethan Evans and me on February 15 & 16: https://lnkd.in/eFqK4iWw

I’ve been managing remote teams across different time zones for over a decade. But I struggled. → I didn’t have a set process. → I didn’t understand how to make time zones work in my favor. → I didn’t know how to balance flexibility and structure. 1. The first mistake is failing to acknowledge the time zone challenge. Many leaders assume that their team can sync up despite being spread across the globe. But the reality is, time zone differences create major barriers to productivity and communication. When I first scaled my company, I made the same mistake. I tried to get everyone working in overlapping hours, but it led to constant delays, frustration, and burnout. The result was:  → Miscommunication because not everyone is available at the same time. → Missed opportunities due to delayed responses. → Team members feeling disconnected. But then I realized I needed to embrace time zone differences instead of fighting them. Here’s how I fixed it: → Accept time zone differences as a reality and create overlap windows for collaboration. → Communicate expectations clearly around working hours and availability. → Focus on asynchronous work and ensure key tasks can be completed without needing everyone to be online simultaneously. 2. The second mistake is neglecting to establish clear communication protocols. Time zone challenges make communication even trickier, and without clear protocols, your team will be left guessing when to connect or how to share updates effectively. I learned this the hard way. At one point, we had team members scattered across five time zones, and without a plan for how and when to communicate, things slipped through the cracks. The result was: → Information is missed or misunderstood. → Confusion around when to reach out and how to collaborate. → Employees feel “out of the loop” or disengaged. Here’s how I fixed it: → Implemented tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to streamline communication. → Set clear guidelines for response times, preferred communication channels, and meeting schedules. By learning from these mistakes, I’ve been able to turn time zone differences into an advantage rather than a barrier. Don't let time zones be your excuse for poor management—make them work to your advantage.