How to work effectively across two time zones and avoid burnout? ðŸ˜
Ken Lian
20 replies
We have two teams in different parts of the world, with 16 hours gap. Here are some tips we use so we don't burn out and die...
1. Set boundaries: Establish specific work hours and avoid overworking. Block sleeping hours.
2. Prioritize and plan: Focus on essential tasks and use productivity tools.
3. Communicate clearly: Share your availability and use collaborative tools for effective communication. We use google calendar and share internally.
4. Be flexible: Adjust your schedule to overlap with the other time zone when needed. Still have 3 meetings each week with two teams.
5. Take breaks: Rest and recharge throughout the day. An afternoon nap is so important!!! 😴
Please share your tips and tools here.
Replies
Chel Chen@chenx552
I think planning ahead is also nice. Avoid a lot of last-minute work.
Share
Communication is key when collaborating across time zones. Ensure everyone understands the expected response times and preferred communication channels. Consider using tools like project management software and instant messaging apps to stay connected and informed.
@shaur_ul_asar any tools that you use? Please share 2 that you think really helpful!
Couldn't agree more! Setting boundaries is so important in preventing burnout.
> Communicate clearly
Totally +1 on this. Beyond just scheduling, with less time to be able to meaningfully sync on tasks, making everything explicit and clear goes a long way.
The hump I'm still working with though is when you part for the day is done but there's another urgent piece in the shared project; do I wait for the person in the other timezone? Should I make progress if they already said they started on it or started thinking about it? Probably resolved by having a better roadmap.
> An afternoon nap is so important!!! 😴
yesss - just in general regardless of timezone crossing
@justin_kwok4 is there any tool you use to keep tasks in sync?
Not sure if it applies to your scenario, but I only have a 2 hours slot available on Thu and Fri with my Night Zone. Except that, we only stay in touch in clickup tasks. Spent some time defining the workflow but now (seems) to work great.
@mirelspace do you have weekly meetings for the entire team?
Optimize your productivity during non-overlapping hours. Also, flexibility and adaptability are key when working across different time zones. Be prepared to adjust your schedule or priorities if needed to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.
It has to be planning and setting clear boundaries with people you work with
A few other tips to avoid burnout:
-Use document reviews for items that can be collaborated on asynchronously.
-Set certain "core hours" or "meeting hours" where it's OK/not OK to schedule meetings.
-Audit recurring meetings quarterly - Do these meetings need to exist? Is the frequency and length right? Is the attendee list right?
-Mark attendees as "optional" when possible.
-If you do need to schedule an off hours meeting, give people plenty of notice. People get most burnt out when they have to work unexpectedly.
-Make sure people are encouraged to 100% disconnect periodically. That can look different person to person but should be something like 1 full day/week or 1 full week/year.
@yannell_selman -Mark attendees as "optional" when possible.
this is great tip, we try to reduce the meeting size as much as possible.
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Another helpful tip is to do an audit of work that can be done asynchronously (e.g. document review) versus having to do it in a meeting. Many teams often have standing meetings that once served a purpose, but not longer do or that can be repurposed to doing some of the work that was done IN the meeting offline.