A project manager in an IT firm starts a project with team members across five countries and four time zones. In early meetings with the sponsor and stakeholders, attendees join late, have internet connection problems, and experience language barriers. What should the project manager do to improve team communication?

The project manager should set up a team communications management plan immediately because it directly addresses the identified issues. This plan would define communication methods, frequency, responsibilities, and protocols, including how to handle time zone differences, language barriers (e.g., using translation tools or a common language), and technical issues (e.g., backup communication channels). Arranging face-to-face meetings is often impractical and expensive for globally distributed teams and doesn't solve ongoing communication challenges. Explaining the benefits of overlapping hours is a good idea, but it's a component of a broader communication plan, not a complete solution. Sharing a contact-log document is helpful for contact information but doesn't establish communication processes or address the root causes of the problems.