How to Create a Meeting Culture That Works Remotely

Meetings aren’t for updates - they’re where your culture is being built… or broken. Meetings are key moments where distributed team members experience culture together. That makes every meeting a high-stakes opportunity. Yet most teams stay in default mode - using meetings for project updates instead of connection, ideation, debate, and culture-building. 3 ways to reduce meetings and make the remaining ones count… 1. Co-create a Team Working Agreement. Before you can reinforce values, your team needs to define them. I’ve spent hundreds of hours helping teams do this - and have seen measurable gains in team effectiveness. Key components: - Shared team goals - Defining team member roles - Agreed-upon behaviors - Communication norms (sync vs. async) 2. Begin meetings with a connection moment. Relationships fuel trust and collaboration. Kick things off with a check-in like: “What gave you energy this week?” Or tailor it to the topic. In a recent meeting on decision-making norms, we asked: “Speed or certainty - which do you value more when making decisions, and why?” 3. Make team values part of the agenda. Create a ritual to recognize teammates for demonstrating team behaviors. Ask the question: “Where did we see our values or team agreements show up this week?” And check in on where could the team have done better. Culture doesn’t happen by accident - especially when your teams are spread across time zones, WFH setups, and multiple office sites. Your meetings can become a powerful tool to build culture with intention.

Remote work challenge: How do you build a connected culture when teams are miles apart? At Bunny Studio we’ve discovered that intentional connection is the foundation of our remote culture. This means consistently reinforcing our values while creating spaces where every team member feels seen and valued. Four initiatives that have transformed our remote culture: 🔸 Weekly Town Halls where teams showcase their impact, creating visibility across departments. 🔸 Digital Recognition through our dedicated Slack “kudos” channel, celebrating wins both big and small. 🔸 Random Coffee Connections via Donut, pairing colleagues for 15-minute conversations that break down silos. 🔸 Strategic Bonding Events that pull us away from routines to build genuine connections. Beyond these programs, we’ve learned two critical lessons: 1. Hiring people who thrive in collaborative environments is non-negotiable. 2. Avoiding rigid specialization prevents isolation and encourages cross-functional thinking. The strongest organizational cultures aren’t imposed from above—they’re co-created by everyone. In a remote environment, this co-creation requires deliberate, consistent effort. 🤝 What’s working in your remote culture? I’d love to hear your strategies.

Remote work only works when people feel connected. That’s the hardest and most important part of being a remote manager. I was hired during the pandemic and have now spent four years managing a fully remote technical team. Last year, I brought my team to Muir Woods. We stepped away from screens, walked under redwoods that have stood for centuries, and just… talked. No slide decks. No Slack notifications. Just people, connecting. That day reminded me: 👉 Remote work only works when leaders build connection with intention. Here’s what I’ve learned managing remotely for four years: 🌲 Clarity or chaos. Without crystal-clear OKRs, people drift. 🌲 Hire adults. A senior team that can self-manage is non-negotiable. 🌲 Respect human rhythms. Some work at 6 AM, others at midnight. Flexibility builds trust. 🌲 Norms > assumptions. Define core hours and Slack expectations—or miscommunication will do it for you. 🌲 Meet IRL. Even once or twice a year. No Google Meet call replaces breaking bread or walking trails together. 🌲 1:1s are lifelines. Weekly conversations (and sometimes same-day check-ins) stop issues from festering. 🌲 Recognition matters. A quick shout-out in a virtual call or Slack message makes people feel seen, valued, and motivated. 🌲 Make progress visible. Jira epics, Kanban, monthly reviews. visibility = accountability. And right now, as remote jobs are being cut faster than in-office ones, two things matter more than ever: 💡 Show value. Invisible work too often looks like no work. 💡 Work loud. Share updates. Celebrate wins. Make your contributions known. Remote leadership isn’t easy. But when it’s done right, you don’t just manage a team—you build a resilient, independent group of people who can thrive anywhere.