4 ways to manage daylight saving hassle across time zones

When we set our clocks back an hour on Nov. 2, the primary change most employees will make is with their sleep cycle. Businesses that operate in multiple time zones, however, have a variety of factors to consider: meetings, deadlines and cross-functional projects, among them.

At Universal Technical Institute, we have 11 campuses across the country – and our corporate headquarters is in Arizona, where much of the state does not recognize the time change. To avoid the biannual disturbances that time changes may cause, here are some tips to ensure a stable operation:

• Keep it simple: When it comes to delegating deadlines across time zones, minimizing confusion is essential. For that reason, use commonly accepted terminology like EOD (end of day) or COB (close of business), instead of requesting a specific time. Understandably, there may be circumstances when a project needs to be in by 11 a.m. If that's the case, be sure to clarify whether it's Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific.

• Maximize meeting times: Because there are few opportunities for face-to-face meetings with clients thousands of miles away, it's important to get the most out of conference calls. This is especially true when you're in different time zones and only have a few hours in the day that work for all parties. Make your meetings efficient by setting an agenda and knowing when to take things offline. It may sound like common sense, but how many times have you left a meeting and felt like half your time had been wasted?

• Take advantage of technology: Collaboration is imperative to the success of any business, and the more ways you can encourage it, the less burdensome time differences become. Whether you're using an intranet tool for sharing projects or Google+ for video conferencing calls, incorporating these tools can help foster a close-knit culture. Test what's out there and find out what works for your company.

Steve McElfresh is President at the Orlando campus of Universal Technical Institute, the leading provider of post-secondary education for professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians.