Introduction
If you manage a virtual team, time zone differences can be a major source of confusion and miscommunication.
Here the biggest mistakes you can do when dealing with different time zones.
Mistake #1: Not specifying the Time Zone
If you're not used to deal with multiple time zones, then it is possible that you don't specify the time zone on scheduling and confirming appointments.
Quick Fix: Always specify the time zone. Get into the habit now so that it doesn't slip by you for an important meeting someday. I've experienced many occasions where the other party has never worked with someone outside his or her own time zone, and just because I specified it, it was brought to their attention, helping us to stay on the same page. Use TimeZoneManager to organize your meetings or copy/paste the (even multiple) appointment information in all your communications.
Mistake #2: Alternating Between Time Zones in Communications
In the beginning, I had a bad habit of continually alternating between time zones in communications. In other words, I did not remain consistent about which time zone I used. The result of such a behavior is confusion.
Quick Fix: Always communicate using the same time zone — every day, every email, no matter the time zones involved. Use TimeZoneManager to generate appointments in Outlook: each person will choose the own time zone and you are sure the appointment time and date are consistent for all the participants.
Mistake #3: Not Watching Out for Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time changes are probably the most difficult part of working across multiple time zones, and because there aren't fixed days each year when the time change occurs, and it changes on different days in different time zones, it's a moving target that easily lead to a problem. To add to the confusion, not everyone uses Daylight Saving Time.
Quick Fix: Use TimeZoneManager to control the DST status of the different time zones. The appointments and the actual date/time are consistent and deal with DST automatically.
Enjoy TimeZoneManager!
Francesco Todini