I’ve had good fortune to work with amazing #offshore team especially in #india, in many of my recent roles.
We’ve always had outstanding rapport, as I am a good listener, and a fair project manager (by the way, I always tell great jokes!)
I was incredibly honoured to be invited by one of my senior developers to attend a wedding. It was utterly amazing, and blew me away.
Everything about it – the country, the smell, the food…. the people!
I was still working though, and made my usual stand ups and client calls from the Gurgaon office – although this time, I was sitting with my offshore team members.
The biggest surprise was how they interpreted a client-facing call that we had with some of our London team members.
While their English was impeccable, there were nuances that escaped them.
The biggest things were sarcasm, and dry humour.
Anything that was said in that vein were taken very literally.
I also noticed body language that made me feel that they found it challenging understand some things that were said by my London-based TA, despite what they articulated.
It wasn’t until I had a candid discussion with them later, that they shared their challenges around #communication – especially with our London based team.
This is when I started to actively dismantle, gently probe assumptions on all sides during team calls, to make sure what is heard and understood is in line with what was intended to communicate.
We all know that ASSUMPTIONS makes a donkey out of you and me!
… so don’t do it! 😁
#onthepeiroll
#projectmanagement