How to Contribute to Your Remote Team: Calendar, Communication & Ideas

Publishing Your Calendar

• 🗓️ Publishing your calendar is essential for remote teams to know your availability and what you're working on, preventing assumptions.
• 💡 Keep your calendar up-to-date with all meetings, calls, and dedicated work blocks to show proactive engagement.
• 📊 When sharing work status, ensure you are doing the work and reporting it; if you don't report it, it might as well not be done.
• ⚠️ Don't be afraid to report 'red' if a task is behind schedule or not going well, as early intervention is crucial.
• ⚖️ Be mindful of the proportion of personal vs. work activities on your calendar, as too much personal time can create a negative impression.

Subscribing to Others' Calendars

• 📞 Subscribing to colleagues' calendars helps you avoid calling them when they are busy, ensuring effective communication.
• 💬 Seeing colleagues' calendars provides opportunities for non-task-related conversations, fostering team connection and rapport.
• 👋 Use calendar insights to initiate supportive conversations, like wishing a colleague luck before a tough client meeting.
• 🤝 Building trust by showing genuine interest in colleagues' work, rather than checking up on them, strengthens team bonds.

Meeting Etiquette and Communication

• ⏰ As a remote employee, be more accommodating with meeting schedules than you would be in the office.
• 🚫 Declining meetings can lead to assumptions of personal activities, as people may not perceive work-related reasons as more important.
• 🚀 Avoid being late or distracted during remote meetings; maintain professionalism to counter assumptions of personal distractions.
• 🗣️ Overcommunicate to prove you care about your team and are interested in their work, fostering a sense of belonging.
• 📞 Prioritize calls over emails for richer communication and to maintain connections, especially for brief check-ins.
• 🤝 Consider peer one-on-ones to align with colleagues, which can uncover new connections and improve overall communication.
• ⏱️ Respond to teammate calls within an hour, texts within 15 minutes, and emails the same day to show you are connected and engaged.

Sharing Ideas and Contributing

• 💡 Actively look for opportunities to contribute ideas, even if they are small or not fully formed, to stay visible.
• 🚀 Being known as an