Globally distributed teams and course preparation: Up to which point does being collocated matters?
Before I get started I should have a full disclosure in place: I have been working with globally distributed teams for as long as I can remember. And even when my team members were theoretically close to me, I kept insisting that they didn't have to come to our office as long as they got their tasks done. So, this is all to say that I don't have much of a comparison group. With that out of the way, here are some thoughts:
Personal motivators: Now I'm not the most social person in the world, but one of the nice aspects that comes with socialization is that you get to know what is truly important for other people. So, is it just the money? Despite all the economic theory, that's surprising the case. People are certainly looking forward to not having to think about money or being concerned about how they are going to pay for their bills, but when that is taken care of they are usually in search for something else. For some it could be the adventure, for others it could be doing good, yet for others it could be fame and prestige, often times a combination of all of the above. Although with collocation the ability to talk for longer periods of time comes more naturally, with video conferences such as Google Hangout or Webcam Toy I would argue that the opportunities for socialization are even greater. In other words, it is easier to spend more extended periods of time with other people while getting to know what is really important for them.
Global sources of expertise - One of the most appealing features of globally distributed teams for course preparation is the ability to tap into talent and expertise that would otherwise be nearly impossible to get at a local level. By that I mean psychometricians, user experience specialists, growth hackers, assembly and testing specialists, copy-editors, and obviously content generators and trainers. All of a sudden, anywhere in the world is fair game, and now you become a global head or gem hunter.
Time zones - Having different time zones are not impossible, but people have to be flexible. This means that the 9 to 5 is definitely dead, that going to sleep after midnight means that you can sleep in the morning, and that you have to have a very good joint calendar such as Google calendar and an international SMS system such as Whatsapp allowing you to get in touch with people any time of the day or night.
Having time to dedicate to the project - Now, this might seem like an obvious thing, but since course preparation might not be the primary activity for some of the team members, it is important that they have a commitment to dedicate enough time to the project. Of course, in order to get to this stage there are important factors such as aligning financial incentives and of course giving people the time to adjust their lives to the new commitment.
Having a more or less common cultural understanding - This is no news, but when working with a culturally diverse group there will be messages that simply will not get across. And so it is important to be patient and give people the benefit of the doubt. For example, in some cultures being wrong is a reason for losing face, in others it is a reason to laugh. In some cultures if somebody disagrees with you and that person is your superior you should be quiet and then continue with your opinion. In others you should discuss. Since our group is based is the US, I won't deny that the overall culture is American, but I will also say that there is nothing nicer than hearing about and acting using new standards. And this is not about being PC, it's just that it's so cool. Now, one of my tricks to circulate around different cultures is to ask questions during non-threatening times. So, for example, if during a situation where a problem was raised and then person who was supposed to answer simply stayed quiet, why did that happen? What was the meaning and what should my reaction have been? In other words, it's important to try your best to learn "the other way."
Language - for very practical reasons, English is the dominant language. I speak a couple other languages and using them has certainly opened a ton of doors, but in bigger meetings English is usually the default. The challenge arises when you have a staff member who is absolutely outstanding but doesn't speak English. The issue there is that this person will likely get undervalued by others primarily because the communication is not there. What I try to do, and it's not easy, is to constantly communicate to others the value this person is bringing to the company and to the specific project at hand. This is not easy though, and so the other advice is to provide every single possible incentive for that person to at least try to communicate in English. With enough time things tend to get far better.
Give more than you receive - I once read this one from Tim O'Reilly and although it might seem like an purely altruistic statement, it actually is a core business value. And I will go beyond: You have to have something unique to offer. In my case I guess it has traditionally been the academic component of whatever work I do. So, even if I am working on a for profit startup, I will naturally attract those with a thing for academic work since they know I can help them out in that area. This means that with that arrangement I have the ability to provide them with something that is of high value to them, and I can then benefit from all the value they bring to me and to the company. I guess that's called a win-win.