Welcome to the first week of Built on Recurring Revenue.

I’m delving into team communication for remote and global teams. If you haven’t considered building a global team, I suggest you reconsider.

Don’t let the fears of poor communication hold you back.

Puzzles

My family spent the weekend with our friends two weeks ago at their cottage. 

A large half-built jigsaw puzzle was on one of the cottage tables.

I enjoy puzzles. 

They help me relax. 

It is a form of meditation. 

There’s high satisfaction in identifying where pieces go and clicking them into place.  

However, this puzzle was different.

It’s called a WASGIJ – Jigsaw backwards. 

The picture on the box IS NOT the picture you are expected to build.

The box picture and build picture are from different perspectives.

Now, there is a special place in hell for those who create and sell these puzzles. 

There is no serene mindfulness, just annoyance. 

You have to build your perspective from someone else’s.

You have to make a lot of assumptions and work via trial and error.

There is no ease or relaxation with a WASGIJ.

It’s the opposite.

Communication Breakdown 

Communication in teams can easily be strained. 

Communication with remote teams in different time zones and cultures triples the breakdown probability.  

I’ve found that most remote team communication breakdowns are not from language barriers but unclear expectations. 

Our words and instructions are the only vehicle to convey our expectations.

And because we’re hurried most of the time, our expectations miss the bus.  

Our expectations include:

• Format
• Deadline
• Details required
• Level of Urgency
• Who the end user is
• Templates we’ve used
• Part Examples we’ve liked
• Next steps when the task is done

And yet we usually just communicate:

• Deadline 
• Details required

All the other essential aspects are excluded.

And we leave it to them to make assumptions and piece it together. 

We give our team members WASGIJs and then get frustrated when there are multiple rounds of rework.

Solving the Puzzle

Yesterday, I gave a webinar to over 130 Filipino Bookkeepers, Accountants and CPAs. 

The topic was Rock Solid Remote Communication. 

I gave them a quick guide to help pull the expectations from their client’s or manager’s mind. 

I told them not to leave it up to their burned-out, decision-fatigued supervisor to relay all the info.

The guide included Five Tactics:

1. Preparation – Learning about the task or project

• This is the most important tactic for learning about expectations.
• You want to ask questions about how the task is done, the expected outcome, and what will be done with the final product.
• Keep in mind that questions might irritate the client or manager.
  • Lead with the statement, “Can I ask a few questions to better understand what is needed?”

Questions

1. What is the due date for the task? 
2. What time of day do you want it?
3. What format do you want the deliverable in?
4. What level of detail do you want? (Will vary depending on the task)
5. Is there anything I should know about how this will be used?
6. Is this the first time this has been done?
   1. Do you have an example of what you liked before?
7. Is this an internal or external document?
   1. Do you have a firm or company logo or letterhead?
8. Can I send you a draft before I finalize the task?
   1. What format would you like to review it in? Excel vs. PDF?
9. What is the next step after this task is completed?
10. Is there a practice/project management tool I can follow or update with my progress
    1. Can I add this task to the PM tool? (Take notes, provide updates – help them stay organized) 

2. Starting – Mapping the task or project

• This is where you prepare how the work will be done – your plan.
• Best use for longer-term or more complicated projects
• Prepare a brief step-by-step plan and share it with the client.
  • Again, the client/manager might be annoyed, but say, “I want to get this to you as soon as possible, with minimal rework – this is what I plan to do. Does this seem clear?”

Questions

1. After looking at the tasks and variables, can I clarify a few more things?
2. Is this how you would approach the task?
   1. What would you change or adjust?
3. I think there will be issues with this one step (describe the foreseen issue) and I think I can adjust for it with this – Does that make sense?

3. During – Continually check against expectations

• This is where you can demonstrate you understand the value of what you are doing.
• For longer projects, check back with the client or manager and reconfirm the task objectives or outcomes to:
  • Ensure you’re on track.
  • Instill confidence in your client during the process.
• If you find unexpected issues, contact the client or manager immediately:
  • Tell them what you have found AND propose options to fix or adjust for the issue (reduce decision fatigue) based on the desired outcome.

4. Delivery – Share the delivery: Take on responsibility

• This tactic allows you to demonstrate your value to not only do the task but to complete more of the whole process. 
  • This works for permanent ongoing roles or project-based roles → Your value increases the more you remove your client or manager from the process.

Questions

• For a Manager, ask: “I’ve prepared the deliverable, and I was wondering if I can send it to the client. I have prepared a response…”
• For a Client, ask: “Given that the next step is [insert next step], can I complete that step?“
• “When is the next time we are going to meet?”
• During the task, there was this issue. These are the details about how I adjusted for it. Do you want more info about that?
  • Taking proactive steps to find a solution AND explaining the solution is extremely valuable.
• Here is a list of additional items to request from the client next time this task needs to be done. 

5. Follow up –  Document and Systemize 

• This step is powerful to show how you can not only do tasks, but create and manage systems. 
• This is an expectation that most managers don’t know they have
• Many firms and business owners struggle to document processes.
• Don’t think that you’ll eliminate your role by creating an efficient way to document and do your work; 

Questions

• “I’ve recorded a Loom video or Scribe SOP for this task. Can I add this to your SOP list?“ (Do this for all types of tasks)
• Can I add this step-by-step list of how to complete this task in your practice management tool?
  • Can I create this task as a template in (Asana, Trello, or Clickup – free versions) for future assignments?

Solving the communication issues is all about the context of the instructions.

Slack, Karbon or Tax Dome won’t solve your comm problems.

Communication issues are solved with intentional steps and vigilance.

 

If you don’t remember anything else from this newsletter, remember this:

 

Know what your expectations are and how to structure and communicate them.

 

Use this guide to help you communicate better, and send it to your team so they can share the responsibility.

Mark