There are a number of best practices and approaches to take as you embark on your own global data transformation project journeys.

One of the big advantages of a diverse global team is the range of perspectives it brings to a new initiative. Successful project teams embrace that diversity and treat everyone as equally important to the delivery outcomes, irrespective of their relative seniority or location. There should be no ‘we’ versus ‘they’: to maximize results, it’s important to get everyone working together as one team in which everyone is — and feels — valued.

To achieve this, foster a genuine interest in and appreciation for the cultural differences across the global team. This means factoring in variances in communications preferences to encourage everyone to contribute fully, and respecting differences in preferred working hours — as well as personal boundaries (e.g., evenings/weekends/holidays/family time being sacred).

Effective communication takes commitment, time and hard work. It’s something that needs to be done continuously and proactively. Invest energy in meetings and, even if travel remains difficult, aim for face-to-face contact where possible and use cameras if sessions need to be conducted via Teams, Zoom, etc. In addition to client/user meetings, schedule weekly team calls which allow colleagues to freely exchange ideas and air issues without the client being present. It’s important to accept failure, too, promoting a willingness to openly discuss anything that has gone wrong, how to fix it, and how to avoid similar problems in future.

Share successes far and wide, too. It will help create a sense of achievement and pride, and the positivity will rub off — keeping people engaged, raising self-esteem, and ensuring that individuals feel valued. Don’t restrict this to the immediate team; let everyone see what’s going well so they can see progress and join in with celebrating even the smallest wins.

Team building isn’t — nor shouldn’t be — a one-off activity where roles are assigned and set in stone. Team building should be a continuous activity through which connections and commitment can deepen, and flexibility is allowed for. Regular in-person meetings, where possible, will help with this but again make the most of video meetings where these are the next best option. Embrace any newcomers directly into the team and be proactive in ensuring that others are aware of them, care about them and will include them fully, drawing out their strengths and allowing them to shine.

As the world becomes smaller, globally managed projects will become increasingly common, and also critical to ensuring greater international coordination, consistency and efficiency in the delivery of outcomes.

But, as global endeavors become the norm, it can be tempting to assume that all international capabilities are the same when engaging external consultants, program management companies and technology service providers. This is a risky assumption if it means they then judge and select partners based primarily on cost or KPIs. This is likely to result in corners being cut, undermining successful delivery.

The only safe way to gauge the global capability of a new provider is to look closely at their track record, either by taking up references from across their existing client base or by scrutinizing the case studies on their website. It’s also a good idea to review the typical duration of those relationships.