Working online

Working online as opposed to in an office environment can be isolating. These are some things we can do to feel more connected:

Say hello👋 on Slack when you start your day - let people know that you are around
And then goodbye at the end, so that they can see your day is done
When joining a zoom call with colleagues, take a couple of minutes to ask how they are before jumping into the agenda
Share a bit about yourself - add a personal slide in the Staff Meeting, join some non-work Slack channels (e.g. pets, makers, foodies) and join the watercoolers when you can

When most conversation happens in text, it can lead to misunderstandings, if it’s read in the wrong way as intended. This is overcome with good communication

Be as clear as possible about what you need to say
Sometimes write a message to yourself first, and check it, before posting publicly
If text feels arduous, jump into a short Zoom call or Slack huddle - it doesn’t all need to be text, and some people express themselves better spoken

Working across timezones

Some tips on global interactions

When discussing setting up a meeting with someone, always state the time zone that you are referring to
If possible, talk in terms of their time zone, not yours
Rotate the discomfort for people in opposite time zones to your own
Be open to meeting outside of your usual working day on occasion
Be aware of Daylight Saving Time changes
Not all countries have this, and not all parts of some countries have it either
The switch is usually around March and October each year, although countries switch on different weekends and can span over to 6 weeks - which causes some temporary confusion for everyone