Introduction
On this page, we’re detailing how to optimize meetings in an all-remote environment.
How Do You Do All-Remote Meetings Right?
Much of the same advice applicable to in-person meetings apply to meetings within an all-remote company, with a few notable distinctions.
Make Meetings Optional
When you work in an all-remote company, the usual assumptions about availability are opposite the norm. Our team members work in different time zones and have different schedules, which makes synchronous meetings impractical, burdensome, and inefficient. As an all-remote company, we do not schedule meetings by default, and we strive to make meetings optional.
Record Meetings and Post Them to our YouTube Unfiltered Channel
You should aim to record all meetings using Zoom and then share them to our YouTube Unfiltered channel. This allows team members to catch up on what transpired, adding context to notes that were taken during the meeting.
See the YouTube page for options and instructions for posting recordings and live streaming to our YouTube channels.
Use GitHub to Replace Meetings
A major enabler for reducing the quantity of meetings necessary at Agapic is GitHub.
Have an Agenda
To better understand how Agapic utilizes agenda docs, here’s a template for internal meetings, and here’s a template for external meetings that you can copy and use.
If you determine that a meeting is needed to move a project forward, address a blocker, or resolve a miscommunication, be sure to have an agenda and be disciplined about using it.
- Create and share the agenda in a Google Doc ahead of time.
Document Everything Live
It’s not rude to focus on documentation in a meeting. In fact, one way to waste time in a meeting is to avoid writing anything down. For meetings within an all-remote company to be worthwhile, documentation is required.
- During the meeting, add input and feedback from attendees to existing agenda items.
- For action items, we go directly to a GitHub issue or pull request. This creates a direct takeaway from the meeting, where ideas are summarized and action can begin immediately.
- For optional attendees, or key team members who could not attend the meeting live, tagging them in the resulting GitHub issue(s) enables them to get themselves up to speed and contribute when it is suitable for their schedule.
Common Meeting Problems
Meetings are incredibly expensive since they require synchronous time. Some of the most common meetings problems are outlined below:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Presenting instead of Q&A | Pre-record presentations on YouTube, so meetings are only Q&A |