Think Globally, Act Globally: the benefits of global teams.

Two and a half years in the blink of an eye. That’s how quickly my tenure as the manager of the Field Applications and Data Services (FADS) team in CSEO went by. I know, I know, FADS is a TERRIBLE acronym. FADS – the team that’s always going out of style! However, I can assure you that it’s not a terrible team. In fact, it's probably the most interesting and one of the most effective teams I’ve had the privilege of managing in my twenty-year career at Microsoft.

In short, diversity of people produces diversity of thought which in turn fuel creative solutions that ultimately drive results.

I’ve been thinking about what makes the team special for nearly the entire time I’ve been in the role, and after 2.5 years in role, the answer has become pretty clear: FADS is special because it is a globally distributed team, built upon the talents of unique individuals from 14 different countries. In our current climate of fear, xenophobia, and mistrust, where walls are being erected and trade barriers are enacted, I got to experience firsthand the joy of managing a team where our differences fueled innovation, where our geographic proximity strengthened our connections, and our varied backgrounds and cultures created empathy and understanding. In short, diversity of people produces diversity of thought which in turn fuel creative solutions that ultimately drive results.

Reflecting on my experience, there are five key benefits of global teams that might not be obvious to those who haven’t had the opportunity to work in a global context.

1)     Empathy. For a global corporation like Microsoft, empathy and understanding of our global customer base is key. Distributed teams help to build empathy for customers and partners all over the world and enable deep insights into the needs of specific geographies and regions. I quickly realized that “one size fits all” leadership would not work for this team, given its cultural diversity, and by adapting to meet the needs and expectations of people from many different cultures I became a more effective, compassionate, and empathetic leader. In turn, my employees developed a deeper understanding and empathy for their US-based manager, breaking down metaphorical walls and building bridges of understanding. Our mutual empathy helped us to develop solutions that weren’t tilted toward any single culture or country; rather, we built solutions that could meet the needs of Microsoft customers, partners, or employees anywhere in the world. Trust fuels empathy, and empathy enables innovation.

2)     Resiliency. By locating people in 14 different countries, FADS has superior resiliency to teams located in a single geography. There are several aspects of resiliency where global teams provide advantages:

·      Resiliency of thought and ideas (more on that later)

·      Resiliency in time zone coverage and work hours

·      Resiliency against local illness and outbreaks

·      In some cases, resiliency of supply chain, providing alternative sources when one region is offline or encumbered. And certainly the supply of ideas is naturally more robust.

As I observed very early on in my tenure, “the sun never sets on FADS” – if you plan your deliverables with the rising and setting sun, it’s literally possible for a global team to be productive 24 hours a day, shortening development cycles by ensuring time zone coverage.

3)     Insights. Specifically, local insights. The truth is, most people at Corporate HQ know little about conditions on the ground in the field. As my team eloquently put it, our strength is “local intelligence with global capabilities”. Your global team should strive to turn their local insights into capabilities and intelligence that can be leveraged by the entire corporation.

4)     Creativity. One of my favorite things about global teams is their astonishing creativity. Get a room full of some of the most creative people you know in the US and you’re likely to come up with some pretty interesting ideas. Conduct that same experiment with leaders from all over the world and you’ll unleash creativity on a scale that’s hard to believe. With more minds from more places you’re less likely to suffer group think, and more likely to unearth solutions that local teams simply wouldn’t even conceive of.

5)     Joie de vivre. Perhaps I’m cheating, since four of my direct reports worked from Paris, but the most wonderful thing about managing a global team is the joy that it can bring as you get to experience the world through a completely different lens several times per day. The fact is, my lived experience in Seattle or Redmond is going to be radically different than a software engineer in Hyderabad or a Business PM in Warsaw. For that matter, my employees lived experience is enriched by hearing stories from my day and learning through my experience as a corporate employee in Redmond. Each day in FADS brought wonderful new conversations, insights, and ideas that fueled innovation on my team and created the empathy that enabled results. It’s the little things that create the joy of living. When every one-on-one is an opportunity to step into another world you quickly realize that joy is one of the principal benefits of a global team.

When every one-on-one is an opportunity to step into another world you quickly realize that joy is one of the principal benefits of a global team.

Reflecting on my tenure, I’m so grateful for the chance of a lifetime to have managed this talented and diverse global team at Microsoft. For those who have read this far, you’re probably wondering, “so why are you leaving?”. The answer isn’t simple, and I admit that there have been days where I’ve second guessed my decision. But I’m excited to say that my next role is also as part of a global team, and I’m certain that it’s already stronger for it. I’ll just be one more mind in the innovation melting pot which is Microsoft.