Flourish - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 41
Rotate the
inconvenience fairly
If one region always
takes the late calls,
resentment builds
quietly, then loudly.
A fair rotation
looks like:
• A rotating
schedule for late
or early meetings
• A “no repeat pain”
rule, so the same
people are not
always stuck with
the bad slot
• Clear permission
to decline
meetings that
breach agreed
boundaries
Fairness is not
about making every
meeting perfect.
It is about sharing
the cost.
Protect focus time like it is billable, because it is
Time zone work can increase interruptions, and
interruption is the silent productivity killer. Set
simple team norms such as:
• “No meeting days” or meeting blocks
• A minimum notice period for meetings
• Default meeting length of 25 minutes or
50 minutes
• A rule that meetings need an agenda and an
owner, or they do not happen
If you want a cultural nudge, call it “protect the
deep work”. It sounds fancy. It also works.
Choose tools that reduce back and forth
You do not need more apps. You need fewer loops.
Helpful patterns include:
• A shared project board with owners and
deadlines
• A single source of truth document for each project
• Status updates that are written, predictable,
and short
• Clear escalation paths for urgent issues
When the system is clear, time zones stop feeling
like friction and start feeling like 昀氀ow.
