🕰️ How I Coordinate Remote Teams Across Time Zones

Have you ever tried to plan a team meeting when half your crew is in pyjamas and the other half is heading out for lunch?

Welcome to my world.

As a Project Manager working in the WordPress and WooCommerce space, I lead remote teams spread across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and North America. We collaborate on projects while navigating time zones, task priorities, and the occasional power outage or cricket match.

It’s challenging. It’s rewarding. And with the right tools and mindset—it works beautifully.

Here’s how I keep everything running smoothly (most of the time), even when no two team members are in the same time zone.

🔁 Embracing Asynchronous Communication
Imagine trying to run a three-legged race… except you’re all on different continents. That’s remote coordination in a nutshell.

The solution? Asynchronous communication—fancy speak for “we don’t all need to be online at the same time to move things forward.”

Here’s what we rely on:

• 🧵 Slack – for project updates, nudges, quick check-ins, and the occasional meme to keep morale high

• 🧩 Google Workspace – shared Docs, Sheets, and Meet for collaboration

• 🛠️ Jira – our task manager and structured chaos central

I keep things organised with dedicated Slack channels, clear tags, and clear messages for walkthroughs. That way, if it’s 3 a.m. in Sydney, our Aussie team member can still get context without needing a late-night Zoom.

💡 Think of it like leaving sticky notes on a digital fridge. Everyone checks in when they’re ready.

📑 Establishing Clear Processes & Documentation
Let’s be honest—if your project plan is “we’ll figure it out as we go,” then you’re not planning. You’re just hoping for the best.

Early on, I learned the hard way that lack of clarity = delays. I’d assign tasks, ask for updates… and hear nothing. Developers weren’t unmotivated—they just didn’t have the right information, or the ask wasn’t clear enough.

Now I document everything:

• Google Docs – for briefs, wikis, and project overviews

• Google Sheets – for release schedules, bug logs, and tracking deliverables

And I simplify, always.
If a five-year-old wouldn’t get it, I rewrite it.

✅ Short paragraphs
✅ Bullet points
✅ Clear next steps
✅ Realistic timelines

And yes, I follow up. Like a polite squirrel that never forgets where it hid the acorns.

🧠 Scheduling with Empathy & Efficiency
Here’s a real look at my life:

This is what it takes to find a single 30-minute overlap for team members in Nigeria, Australia, India, and Bangladesh. I call it “calendar Tetris.”

How I make it work:

• World Time Buddy – to spot overlap across time zones

• Rotate meeting times – so one region isn’t always taking the hit

• Ask, “Can this be async?” – often the best meeting is the one that didn’t happen

Remote work is a team sport. It works best when everyone feels their time is respected.

🚀 Continuous Learning & Adaptation
Working with remote teams is like building LEGO with gloves on. You’ll fumble, drop pieces, and occasionally step on something sharp—but every project teaches you something new.

What I’ve learned (and keep learning):

• How to write better briefs

• How to spot blockers early

• How to listen more and assume less

• And I keep sharpening my skills:

• Make WordPress – for staying on top of ecosystem updates

• Slack’s Remote Work Guide – practical and tactical

🎯 Each lesson is a building block. Step on it once—learn. Step on it twice—you weren’t paying attention.

✅ Wrapping Up: Herding Global Cats (and Loving It)
Here’s the big picture:

• Use Slack, Google Workspace, and Jira to streamline communication

• Write briefs a 5-year-old could understand

• Schedule with empathy and rotate fairly

• Always learn, adapt, and laugh when things go sideways

Want to improve your own coordination game? Start with:

• World Time Buddy
• Loom
• Jira

🗨️ Over to You
How do you keep your remote developers accountable and projects on time—without becoming "that manager"?
Have any rituals, tools, or war stories to share?

Drop them below 👇
Or find me on LinkedIn —let’s trade notes!