Our top 10 tips on how to work from anywhere and manage timezones

With remote work on the rise, more and more companies across industries are letting team members work from around the world. And while we'd say this is a pretty great shift in how work operates today, it can present new and uncharted territory for some teams as they spread across timezones.

But it's also not an impossible problem to solve. We've rounded up the top 10 tips that have helped our own distributed team communicate effectively and efficiently.

Automate and schedule messages

Take advantage of the automation and scheduling features available to you—whether it be scheduling a thread, setting up a recurring thread, or marking one for follow up.

You’ll save time, and you'll be able to signal to your team that you plan to join or respond to something—even if you’re logged off or sleeping.

Create an internal knowledge base

An internal knowledge base helps organize important company information into a searchable, easy-to-use system for employees. It's the go-to place where employees can get updates on what's going on, know how to move work forward, and communicate any questions or other ideas.

We recommend Threads, of course.

Record meetings or leave a video narration

Consider recording any synchronous meetings on Zoom. That way, people who couldn’t join in real-time can go back and watch them. Or better yet, leave a spot narration or record over a thread, giving your team the added context they desire.

Encourage disconnecting during off-hours

When everyone is working at different times and messages come in at all hours of the day, it’s easy for an “always-on” mentality to creep in. Minimize burnout by encouraging your team to:

• Set clear working hours 🕠
• Share offline statuses ⛔
• Mute notifications after logging off 🔕
• Take breaks, vacations, and sick days 💤

Focus on productivity over presence

In a remote-first setting, productivity doesn’t mean “butts in seats” during specified times.

Instead, consider tracking factors like meeting deadlines, fulfilling goals and quotas, and the quality of work.

Make schedules and calendars public

Use tools like Calendly and Google Calendar to create a shared or collaborative calendar. These shared schedules make it easier for global teams to track time zones, set response deadlines, schedule synchronous meetings, and plan collaborative projects.

Schedule overlapping work hours

There will always be a use case to connect with your team in real-time. ⏰

Here are some tips:

• Set weekly or monthly crossover hours based on where the majority of your team is located
• Schedule synchronous meetings in advance so your team can plan accordingly
• Consider rotating the meeting time so the “inconvenience” of working early/late is spread among the team
• Utilize synchronous chat when seeking a timely response or asking an urgent question

Set clear deadlines and project timelines

When you request input or meetings from team members, always include a specific time and time zone (such as 10 a.m. ET) to minimize confusion.

This ensures everyone is on the same page, and gets you to the outcome that matters most.

Support relationship building

Loneliness was cited as one of the top struggles for remote workers in the 2021 State of Remote Work report from our friends at Buffer (we’re sending all those respondents a virtual hug 💜).

Minimize feelings of isolation by providing async opportunities for your team to connect, including:

• Fun AMA or QOTD (question-of-the-day) chats
• Zoom hangs with trivia, ice breakers, or just to chill
• Non-work-related chat channels or threads (all the doggo photos, please)

Remember to take a breath

Shifting the way we work is going to take time. Some of us got a head start and others are still learning to walk before we can run.

Give yourself the grace to make mistakes, learn what works best for you and your team, and to not be afraid to make changes if needed.