Six steps to managing an international team

by Alex Coleman

This is the first in a series of six blog entries describing the management process used by the AMP technical team. The team consists of 20 software engineers in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Georgia, Finland, Morocco, and Romania. We also have 6 technical specialists in Washington, Dakar, and Nairobi. The team supports 11 AMP installations in Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Malawi, Montenegro, Niger, Senegal, and Tanzania.

1. Over Communicate (Provide various channels of communication)

There can never be too much communication with your team horizontally and vertically. Communication is imperative because of the distance and increased probability of a misunderstanding of requirements. It helps foster the team spirit crucial to the success of the program.

The various methods of communication are:

• Chat. On a daily basis, we use an internal chat system-AMPCHAT. All the technical team members are required to be available on this chat during work hours. We also use chat systems such as MSN, Skype, and YAHOO as backup options. Encourage developers in different countries to use the chat systems and SIP phones to discuss technical issues.


• Webex. This online tools works well for international calls, demonstrations, and recording of meetings.
  


• Teleconference. We hold a quarterly teleconference team meeting to outline the management and technical direction for the upcoming months.
  

• E-mail. Electronic mail, combined with teleconferences and chats organized by technical specialists, is good for smaller teams for the kickoff and development of a new feature. Various daily meetings are held to discuss the feature requirements, project plan, and ongoing updates. These methods are also good for upgrade and installation planning.


• Telephone. Old-fashioned technology still has its place. Phone interviews for new hires are important to encourage direct communication and a team spirit.


• Face-to-face. Upon hire, new team members are paired up with senior developers. This sometimes takes place in another location. Working side by side for a period of two months helps the new hire to understand our software development process.

My next post will focus on step 2: Nurturing the team