How to streamline project collaboration in distributed teams

Distributed teams are gaining popularity because of the numerous advantages they offer. However, distributed teams are more remote than even remote teams, introducing unique challenges. 

However, distributed teams are more remote than even remote teams, introducing unique challenges. The main challenge is ensuring effective communication when the team is dispersed across different locations and potentially working in different time zones.

Knowing how to ensure effective communication and collaboration will greatly benefit project managers and team members who work in distributed teams.

This post will reveal how to ensure collaboration in distributed teams. We will cover: 

• Overview of distributed teams
• Why you should consider a distributed team
• Key challenges in promoting collaboration among distributed teams
• Strategies to streamline collaboration in distributed teams
• How to select the best project management tool for your distributed team
• How to measure success in distributed teams

Overview of distributed teams

A distributed team is a team that does not work from a specific physical office. Instead, the team members work from different geographical locations, spanning multiple cities, countries, or even continents.

Distributed teams are considered more remote than remote teams because they have a more complex structure. In typical remote teams, team members work from home or other locations outside a traditional office. 

However, these locations are usually concentrated in a specific geographical area, so the teams have more synchronised working hours. Because distributed teams can be spread across countries and continents, many members work in different time zones and rely on asynchronous communication to accommodate time differences.

Due to the geographical distance of team members, remote teams and the more complex distributed teams rely heavily on collaboration tools to remain connected.

Why should you consider a distributed team?

Distributed, and to a degree remote, teams offer many benefits that include cost savings, a larger talent pool, improved innovation, better productivity, increased flexibility, and increased retention.

Cost savings

Using distributed teams helps an organisation reduce the costs associated with maintaining a physical office space. Offices are often the biggest costs for companies when you add rent, office supplies, and the other utilities needed to make the space a place people want to work in. Using distributed teams eliminates these costs.

Distributed teams also help you save on salaries. Organisations in countries with high labour costs may choose to hire top talents from other countries with lower labour costs, allowing them to pay competitive wages without straining their budget. 

Larger talent pool

When employees must work in a specific physical location, they must live nearby to commute daily. Thus, the talent pool is limited to people nearby. However, distributed teams don’t have this restriction.

Organisations are not limited to a single location when hiring for distributed teams. They are free to hire from anywhere in the world, meaning they can tap into specialised skills that may not be available locally. For example, a software company in San Francisco can hire people from Bangalore, Berlin, and other tech hubs worldwide. 

Improved innovation

Since distributed teams are geographically dispersed, team members often come from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. And people approach problems differently based on their regional or cultural influences.

Thus, the diversity of distributed teams can lead to a broader range of ideas, resulting in innovative solutions that may not emerge in more homogenous groups.

Better productivity

Remote workers are up to 22% more productive than their on-site (in-office) counterparts. Yes, you read that right! Teams working from home accomplish more than they could when working from traditional offices.

First, remote workers can start work earlier and close later since there is no commuting time when working from home, allowing them to accomplish more. 

Also, because of the flexibility of remote work, workers can choose their most productive hours, so they work when they feel most focused and accomplish more. 

Increased flexibility

Distributed team members do not have to work during traditional office hours. They operate more flexible work schedules. They can work whenever they feel more productive, whether during the day or late at night. This flexibility improves work-life balance, leading to higher job satisfaction.

Increased retention

Distributed team members tend to stay with organisations for longer. Workers in distributed teams tend to have higher job satisfaction because they do not have to worry about a daily commute, and their flexible work schedule improves their work-life balance. Higher job satisfaction makes these workers stay with their employers longer.

For an employer, increased retention means cost savings and better morale. Retaining workers reduces the cost of hiring and training new employees, which can be expensive. 

Also, high retention can create a more stable and positive workplace culture because long-term employees often have established relationships, leading to better collaboration and a more cohesive team.

Key challenges in promoting collaboration among distributed teams

With distributed team members spread across different geographical locations, ensuring team collaboration can be challenging.

The challenges in promoting collaboration among distributed teams are:

Time zone difference

More often than not, distributed team members are located in locations with different time zones. Working hours in one location may be night in another location, so team members may not be available simultaneously. 

Misunderstanding

Face-to-face communication is lacking in distributed teams because team members are not in the same physical location. This lack of face-to-face communication can result in misunderstanding and reduced clarity in discussions.

Workers in distributed teams rely on written communication, so they miss inflexions, facial expressions, body language, and gestures that can convey emotions and provide context. 

Written communication often lacks context, so there can be different interpretations of the same message. Furthermore, participants may not clarify misunderstandings as quickly as in face-to-face communication.

Cultural differences

When you bring individuals from different cultures together into distributed teams, you can have friction and misunderstandings.

For example, individuals from certain backgrounds may prefer direct communication, which may offend others who prefer a more nuanced and indirect approach. Also, different cultures may have varying definitions of commitment and work-life balance, leading to conflicts over expectations and responsibilities.

Also, team members may unconsciously hold biases about colleagues from other cultures, which can make them less cooperative and lead to frustrations during collaborative processes. 

Technology overload

Distributed teams stay connected using collaborative technology in addition to the other tech tools they may already be using to work. Some may struggle with switching between all these tools to be productive while being connected. What is more, any connectivity issue or technical glitch can halt productivity.

Feelings of isolation

Workers in distributed teams can sometimes feel disconnected from the larger company culture. This is because distributed teams lack personal connections. Team members see themselves only briefly on video calls or chat screens. 

Distributed teams lack the casual chat and spontaneous interactions among in-office workers that help form close connections. Also, virtual team-building activities are less enjoyable than those of their traditional counterparts.

All these make it difficult to form relationships with colleagues, leading to feelings of isolation.

Risk of burnout

Some things that make distributed teams desirable can also increase burnout for workers in this work setting. 

Remember that distributed teams offer increased flexibility and better productivity. Without control, this can go the other way. For example, since many remote team members do not have official work hours, they often find themselves overworking—working outside normal hours or even on the weekends. This ultimately leads to burnout.

Strategies to streamline project collaboration in distributed teams

Since distributed teams are plagued by collaboration challenges, when organisations adopt this work setup, they must implement certain strategies to streamline collaboration toward ensuring project success. These strategies for streamlining project collaboration in distributed teams are:

Define roles and responsibilities clearly

Clearly defining roles and responsibilities helps remote team members understand their specific tasks and how their individual contributions affect the overall project. 

This clarity prevents misunderstandings about what needs to be done and ensures that every team member is on the same page regarding project goals and deadlines. It also helps prevent duplicated efforts— where different people perform the same task.

Clearly defining roles and responsibilities also helps remote team members communicate more effectively and collaborate better. When people know who is responsible for specific tasks, they can direct inquiries to the appropriate individuals. 

This reduces the problem of sending messages to multiple people (which causes unnecessary communication overhead) or sending messages to the wrong individual (which causes delayed responses).

Clear roles also make it easier for team members to know who to involve in specific tasks, leading to more effective teamwork and resource sharing.

Manage timezone difference

The main culprit of communication and collaboration problems in distributed teams is working in different time zones. Managing time zone differences can help improve collaboration for your distributed teams.

The first step to managing time zones is being mindful of everyone’s workday. When scheduling meetings, use a scheduling tool to find a mutually convenient time. 

If team members' locations make such a time impossible, consider rotating meeting times so that no one remote team member is always burdened with inconvenient meeting times. When setting deadlines for any individual, also consider their timezone to avoid deadlines falling outside the individual’s typical workday. 

Using asynchronous communication tools also helps you manage timezone differences. Team members can work on tasks during their own hours and leave updates or feedback for others to pick up when they are online. This ensures that critical tasks are passed along efficiently.

Leverage the right tools

Communication is critical to collaboration. Finding a way to make people in distributed teams communicate effectively will improve collaboration. Thankfully, there are tons of virtual collaboration tools. However, selecting the right one is crucial. You want a tool that is not just intuitive but offers real-time interaction, shared workspaces, task management, and more.

When selecting a platform, consider your synchronous and asynchronous needs. You should have instant messaging, video conferencing, audio calls, and other features that allow a project manager and team members to communicate in real-time. You should also have direct messaging and threaded discussions for asynchronous communications.

The goal is to find the minimum number of platforms that will do the above and also serve as a central office, so file-sharing and collaboration features are essential. You want platforms with excellent task management features that allow you to assign tasks and subtasks, set deadlines, and track progress, as these make everyone stay aligned on project goals and timelines. 

A high-performing distributed team will usually utilise a instant communication platform like Slack, a video conferencing tool like Zoom or Google Meet, and then ideally only one project/work management and collaboration platform that can store documentation, tasks, files and anything else. 

Also read: What is no-code development?

Establish clear communication protocols

Setting clear guidelines for interactions can reduce uncertainty about how to communicate and lead to smoother communication and collaboration.

Communication protocols can include guidelines for which tools to use for specific types of communication (e.g., instant messaging for quick questions, emails for formal updates, and video calls for detailed discussions). This will eliminate confusion about how to communicate. 

Protocols can also define the steps for communication, such as what information to share in updates and how often to check-in. This can help team members prioritise their information, reducing unnecessary back-and-forth that can lead to communication overload and stifle collaboration.

Communication protocols often mandate regular status updates (such as weekly summaries). This ensures everyone stays informed about project progress, changes, and challenges.

Foster a collaborative culture

A collaborative work environment is where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas. This can lead to better collaboration and increase worker motivation. 

When people openly share their opinions and suggestions without fear of criticism, you will have rich discussions that spark innovative ideas. Also, team members will be more open to sharing challenges and setbacks, which can be addressed collaboratively instead of ignored.

Since a collaborative culture encourages everyone to make contributions, team members will see that their input is valued, and this can increase their commitment to project goals.

Regular check-ins can help you create a collaborative culture. Schedule regular team meetings where team members can share ideas. 

Also, organise knowledge-sharing sessions where team members can present on topics of expertise. Importantly, learn to celebrate achievements. Has the group or someone in it achieved something (big or small)? Don’t forget to mention it (in shout-outs or company newsletters). This can motivate team members and boost morale.

Organise virtual team-building activities

Remember that one problem with distributed teams is that members can feel disconnected. This leads to feelings of isolation, which makes team collaboration more challenging. One way to solve this problem is by creating opportunities for team members to socialise and get close to one another. 

Virtual team-building activities allow project team members to interact in a more laid-back and informal setting. You build trust naturally when team members shift from the daily grind of work discussions and have fun together. This can transform colleagues into friends, and collaboration is easier among friends than among distant colleagues.

These team-building activities also make it easier to share feedback, as they provide a relaxed setting to give and receive feedback. In a fun setting, people feel at ease with each other, and sharing feedback becomes more like chatting with friends than a high-pressure evaluation. Individuals are less likely to be anxious about giving feedback or feel defensive when receiving feedback. 

Wondering what good virtual team-building activity you can organise for your distributed teams? Host a trivia quiz with questions covering various topics. 

Show-and-tell games where members take turns sharing something personal during a video call are also perfect.

Monitor and adjust

When implementing strategies to boost collaboration in distributed teams, it is important to regularly review how the team members work together and make necessary changes to improve collaboration. 

Define key performance indicators (KPIs) related to collaboration. This may include response times, engagement levels, and task completion rates. Monitor these key metrics to identify areas for improvement. 

Collect feedback from your teams regularly about collaboration and project management tools. This will help determine whether your tools effectively serve your teams’ needs. 

Also, monitor team interactions on platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams. This can help you understand collaboration patterns. For example, the frequency of interactions can provide insight into whether team members collaborate effectively. The content of interactions can also help spot misunderstandings and conflicts, which you can address quickly for a healthier team dynamic.

How to select the best project management tool for your distributed teams

Effective collaboration in distributed teams starts with choosing the right project management tool. Here’s how to select the best project management tool:

Assess your teams’ needs

When choosing tools for your distributed team, you need a tool that will help your team accomplish its objectives, not a generic one that may not fit. 

Assessing your team’s needs helps you know what features to prioritise when looking for collaboration or project management software. Does your team want a tool that offers task assignments, file sharing, deadline tracking, or reporting capabilities? Or all of the above? Analyse your workflows and determine the specific feature your team requires.

Consider the tool’s features and functionalities

After determining the functionalities most critical for your workflow, the next step is to find a tool that offers these functionalities. When shopping for project management tools for distributed teams, some features to consider are:

Collaboration features
A good project management tool should support seamless communication and facilitate collaboration.

It should support document sharing, commenting on tasks, notifications and alerts, and more. Also, look for versioning and version history features so you can track changes made to files and maintain access to previous versions.

Task management features
Task management is the cornerstone of any project management software since project management is about completing tasks efficiently.

With a good project management tool it should be easy to create tasks (complete with descriptions and due dates) and assign them to specific team members. Look for functionalities that allow you to break tasks into subtasks and establish dependencies, as this makes it easier to manage complex projects.

Starhive is the task management king, making it a powerful project management tool. You can use its workflow builder to define task states, transitions, approval rules, and other processes you may have.

Visual project tracking
Visual project tracking refers to using graphical and other visual tools to organise and track project tasks, timelines, and workflows. These tools make it easier to track project progress and communicate status information. 

Common visual tools to look out for include Gantt charts and Kanban boards. Gantt charts visually represent project timelines, showing tasks, task durations, dependencies, and milestones. Kanban boards provide a visual and intuitive interface that helps you follow tasks as they move through different stages (such as To Do, Progress, and Completed), promoting agile project management.

Reporting and analytics
Efficient project execution requires monitoring progress and evaluating performance to identify areas for improvement. So, when choosing a project management tool for your distributed teams, look for a tool with comprehensive reporting features.

It should be able to generate detailed progress reports highlighting task completion rates, milestone achievements, and overall project status. This will help you gauge your team’s productivity and make data-driven decisions to improve team performance.

Starhive ticks this box. With Starhive, you can easily generate custom dashboards and reports to track progress and get an overview of your projects.

You may also like: 9 things to look for in a data management solution.

Customisation options
Every team has unique workflows. A project management tool should be flexible so you can customise it to suit your team’s specific workflow. 

Look for the ability to create custom fields for tasks to capture specific information that fits your unique workflow. Also, go for tools that provide different project views (such as timeline, list, board, and calendar) so that team members can choose the view that best suits them. 

At the core of Starhive is flexibility. The no-code platform gives you full control over your project hierarchy, allowing you to create as many levels of subtasks as you want. It also offers board, list, timeline, and gallery views, allowing you to dive into your projects in the way that makes the most sense for you.

Consider usability

A comprehensive project management tool that is not easy to use will lead to several challenges. Teams may be reluctant to use a tool that feels complicated, leading to the use of less efficient means like email and spreadsheets. This can lead to delays in communication and fragmented project management, where tasks are scattered across different platforms.

Thus, when choosing a project management tool, you should also consider user experience. In addition to robust project management features, prioritise tools with intuitive interfaces that are easy to use. Conduct trials to confirm that the tool is user-friendly.

Integrations

When choosing a tool for remote project management, you should also consider whether it integrates with the other tools your team uses regularly, such as communication tools, file storage tools, and CRMs.

Integration offers streamlined project management, allowing all your tools to work together seamlessly for a more cohesive workflow. For example, when your project management tool integrates with communication platforms like Microsoft Teams, project updates flow directly to team members in the communication platform, enhancing communication and collaboration.

How to measure success in distributed teams

To measure the success of collaborative processes in distributed teams, assess KPIs that provide meaningful insights into team collaboration. These include:

• Response time: How quickly team members respond to messages, inquiries, or requests provides insight into how well they collaborate. Collaboration is most effective when response time is fast. To track response time, simply look at team members’ interactions in your communication tools.
• Communication frequency: How often team members communicate with each other in your various communication channels offers insight into whether your distributed team collaborates effectively. Check logs in communication tools to see the frequency and volume of interactions. 
• Collaboration rate: The extent to which team members work together on tasks and projects will also tell you whether they collaborate effectively. To measure your collaboration rate, monitor shared documents, project boards, and other collaborative tools to see the number of team members who contribute.
• Innovation rate: The number of new ideas or initiatives the team generates can also show how well project members collaborate. To track your innovation rate, monitor the submission of new ideas or improvements suggested by team members. 
• Task completion rate: Tracking the total number of tasks completed on time relative to the total number of tasks assigned can also help a project manager evaluate the effectiveness of team collaboration and overall productivity. You can use project management tools to track due dates and completion statuses to obtain task completion rates.
• Quality of work: The quality of deliverables produced by the team can also reveal how well they collaborate. Metrics such as defect count and defect density can provide insight into the quality of work. Customer-reported issues and reviews can also help.

Also read: Examples of IT assets you need to be tracking.

Takeaway: Unlock the potential of your distributed teams with Starhive

If you’re managing a small writing team or big software development projects, a distributed team setup offers significant advantages, ranging from cost savings to increased productivity.

Distributed teams also present unique challenges, mainly related to collaboration. Following the strategies outlined in this article, you can streamline collaboration for your distributed teams and ensure team members stay connected, engaged, and productive.

One of those strategies is selecting the right tools. This is where Starhive comes in! Starhive is a no-code platform that boosts a team's productivity. With this easy-to-use interface, you can easily build the collaboration apps you need to manage projects and accelerate work in your organisation. 

Ready to unlock the full potential of distributed teams by enhancing project collaboration?