The default failure of remote teams is replacing every corridor conversation with a calendar invite.
The test before booking
Is there a decision to make? If not, write it down instead. Status updates in particular are documents, not meetings.
The three things every invite needs
- The decision to be made
- What people should read first
- Who owns the outcome
Serve the people who are not there
Record it, and post a five-line summary: what was decided, why, what happens next, who owns it. This is what makes a distributed team work across timezones.
Common questions
How many meetings is too many?
If more than a quarter of the week is scheduled calls, deep work becomes very hard for most roles.
Should remote meetings be recorded?
Yes, with a short written summary. The summary matters more than the recording.