Effective meetings

To make working together flexible and productive, especially when we’re not all in the same place, we follow a few simple rules for meetings and group work. This helps keep things running smoothly.

Use the right scheduling tool

Choosing the right tool makes scheduling easier:

• Internal meetings: Schedule these on Basecamp within the relevant project or team. Make sure to notify everyone involved. For all-hands meetings, use the main Woodlands Basecamp.
• External meetings (with clients, etc.): Use Basecamp as above, but also send a Google Calendar invite to include external folks.

Start on time

Simple but crucial: Meetings start promptly.

• If you’re leading, it’s your job to kick things off on time.
• If you’re attending, be ready to join on time.

Meet during regular hours

We aim for core meeting hours between 10 am and 4 pm. Please be available during this window for meetings scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.

Need to meet outside these hours? The organizer should schedule it at least a week ahead.

Offer a video option (usually)

Video helps connection, especially with remote team members:

• Hosting with remote attendees? Provide a video link (e.g., Google Meet) before the meeting starts.
• Attending remotely? Join the video call before the start time. Ensure you have a quiet space and a solid internet connection. Joining by phone audio only or from a noisy public place isn’t ideal.
• Voice-only sometimes okay? Yes, if the organizer decides it’s sufficient for that specific meeting.

Responsibilities in the meeting

Meetings are a team effort:

• Contribute: Everyone should feel empowered to share ideas and solutions.
• Speak up: If you disagree, raise your point during the meeting so it can be discussed and resolved. Once a decision is made, we all commit to following through. We don’t go off-script after agreeing.

Basics for successful meetings

These are essential, especially for remote collaboration:

• Good internet: A fast, reliable connection is key. Remote folks should minimize potential lag.
• Quiet space: Find somewhere you can focus and hear clearly. If meeting rooms are limited and you’re near others not in the meeting, please respect the ongoing discussion – avoid interrupting or side conversations.

Make sure you have these basics covered if you plan to meet or pair program with teammates.