Remote and International Working

Whatever organisation you work in, you are bound to collaborate with colleagues who work at home, across the globe or at different locations and times. In the twenty-first century ‘teleworking’ is no longer a perk, but a business imperative. Yet many professionals are unprepared for the challenges – and rewards – of international, flexible and remote working, and unaware of the processes and tools that can maximise the motivation and productivity of virtual and mobile teams.

By working through this course you will discover the challenges and rewards of working at a distance and explore some practical tools and techniques to improve your own and your colleagues’ performance. You will consider how to adapt your own working style to new work patterns and learn how to communicate effectively across cultures. Finally, you will explore how to exploit the positive impact of international, flexible and remote working within your organisation.

International and Remote Working is part of our Issues and Debates suite of learning. Issues and Debates courses stimulate intelligent dialogue and debate and provide a valuable and evolving resource of professional knowledge and experience. These courses are topical, practical and highly relevant to today’s changing market. Each module is split into two activities: Understanding the issues and Putting it into practice. The first encourages learners to think about a topic, drawing on their own professional experience and knowledge. The second helps them put ideas and/or theories into practice as part of their day-to-day work.

• understand how international, flexible and remote working scenarios differ from traditional organisational approaches
• adapt their professional working style for virtual and mobile teams
• identify and apply practical techniques and tools to successfully manage ‘at a distance’ colleagues
• communicate effectively across cultures and physical or time barriers
• maximise the potential of remote-working staff

Working in the 21st century
• Working at a distance
• The challenges of international and remote working
• The rewards of international and remote working
• Barriers to remote working
• Skills for remote working

Managing remote teams
• Managing at a distance
• Working hours and team culture
• Setting and monitoring goals
• Motivating remote workers
• Managing international teams

Communicating effectively
• Communicating at a distance
• Building virtual relationships and trust
• Setting-up processes and procedures
• Using technology for effective communication
• Communicating across cultures

Achieving success
• Managing performance at a distance
• Delegating work and empowering staff
• Nurturing high levels of trust
• Collaborating effectively
• Using technology to enhance productivity

Maximising opportunities
• Turning working at a distance into a competitive advantage
• Creating a shared vision
• Training and coaching remote teams
• Resolving conflict in remote teams
• Exploring cultural differences

This course is designed to appeal to people working in the accounting and finance industry at all levels.

Anna Faherty is a writer, lecturer and consultant working across the publishing, museum and charity sectors. She has hands-on management experience as director of a multi-million pound publishing division and is currently on the board of a small independent museum.