Meetings

Own the meeting you schedule. Make sure you provide an agenda and information about what the outcome is supposed to be. Facilitate the meeting to keep it efficient and effective. If you need help, ask one of our coaches for support. If agenda and outcome are still unclear, postpone to work on clarifying things first.

Give your meetings a title that makes sense. We’re growing, not everybody is into all meta-humor threads anymore. Like writing code, use meaningful meeting titles and add a short description. This helps people to know what it’s about and to opt out if they can’t add value.

Give your meetings a timebox that calls for freedom. 8 working hours should not be 8 meeting hours. Make sure you give yourself enough time to process meetings and work on your action items. It’s okay to say no to a meeting and it’s okay to opt out, if you’re not sure what to contribute. Schedule meetings for everybody to be able to use the bathroom or make a coffee in between, e.g. rather setup 45 minute meetings than 60 minute meetings.

Pay some respect, be on time. Be on time to your recurring team meetings, e.g. every team member should know when their daily is. All recurring team meetings happen according to the shared thomann.io calendar or team calendars. If they don't, you'll be notified.

Cancel meetings on time. Cancel your appointments when you take vacation. If possible, also cancel them while sick. Cancel them, while you travel and might be stuck with WIFIonICE…

Don't multi-task. People make time to join an appointment with you so please value that and treat it with due respect. Don't type away in Slack chats while being on a call, don't pick up the phone unless it's an emergency and speak up if you get the feeling you have nothing to contribute instead of zoning out.

Consider making your calendars and meetings publicly accessible to everyone in the organization. Public calendars can improve collaboration, transparency, and accountability. By sharing your schedule, you help others coordinate more effectively, avoid conflicts, and identify opportunities for teamwork. This initiative is entirely voluntary, and we respect individual preferences regarding privacy. For those interested, a detailed guide on how to make your calendar public is available in Confluence.