Since we launched our Virtual First Toolkit, the number one question we’ve gotten from Dropboxers is: How should I handle core collaboration hours? When do they start? Are they real real, or sort of real?
Smart questions! Here’s how they (really) work.
What are core collaboration hours?
Core collaboration hours are a company-wide block for synchronous work. Use them for:
- High-priority meetings
- Discussing ideas
- Responding to Slacks and emails
- Working on projects that need your team’s input
(Think: “Be available for important Zooms and Slacks,” not “schedule back-to-back Zoom meetings just because there’s a slot.”)
When do they happen?
Core collaboration hours are daily 9am-1pm in your region’s home timezone:
- Americas (PST home timezone): 9am–1pm in San Francisco and 12pm–4pm in New York
- Europe (GMT): 9am-1pm in Dublin and 12pm-4pm Tel Aviv
- Asia Pacific and Japan (GMT+9): 9am-1pm in Tokyo and 10am-2pm in Sydney
Company-wide core collaboration hours will start in the new year (we’ll share specific dates in our All Hands on Dec 17, 2020!), along with our official transition to Virtual First. We’d love you to begin shifting your calendars now, though, to give us a head start on learning.
Why
When we’re all working across timezones, it can be tempting to take meetings at all hours of the day. To preserve focus and work-life balance, we need a chunk of time when we’re all (mostly) together. Good news: Research suggests that burstiness — working together in short bursts — can be especially effective for distributed teams.
How
Please:
- Migrate your high-priority meetings to core collaboration hours.
- Block off non-core collaboration hours for deep work and flex for friends (see below).
- Start asking, Could we handle it over Paper, email, or Slack instead? for meetings that happen during non-core collab hours. If you really need to meet, no sweat. Just be sure to ask your invitee first.
- Managers: Work with your team to handle any exceptions (home-schooling, high availability or global roles, personal needs) to core collaboration hours. Please err on the side of kindness and flexibility as we push through the pandemic.
Check out Alastair’s sample schedule for inspiration.
But what about…
Coffee walks and breaks?
Never fear: We don’t expect you to be glued to your screen for four-hours straight. Please take care of yourself at home, just as you would in the office.
Lunch?
Some of you need to feed hangry children from 12–1p. Others like to take their lunch al fresco, at 2p. We suggest being flexibly available during this time. You could eat for 30minutes and then catch up on Slack, for example. (Pro-tip: Set your Slack status to “Eating lunch!” and teammates will know you’ve stepped away.)
Zoom-schooling my kids?
We understand that COVID creates scheduling challenges (understatement of the year) for parents. If you can’t make core collaboration hours regularly, please work with your manager to design a schedule that makes sense.
High-availability or global roles?
The work of admins, producers, and sales/global teams often happens outside of core collaboration hours. If this is you, please work with your manager to design an approach that fits your role.
No Meeting Wednesdays?
We suspect that No Meeting Wednesdays might feel less necessary as we roll out core collaboration hours… but we’re not sure yet! We’ll send a survey soon, and officially review the practice in January. Meanwhile, if you think getting rid of No Meeting Wednesdays will make you less impactful (ex: you’re a craft-oriented team and need lots of heads-down time), please email virtualfirst@.
The other four hours in the workday?
Please do your best to block out non-core collaboration hours for “deep work” (reviewing Paper docs, writing, designing) and “flex for friends” (important meetings that you can’t take during collaboration hours, like hard-to-schedule job interviews). If teammates keep scheduling non-essential meetings during this time, it’s okay to respectfully decline.
My non-linear schedule?
Distributed work gives us a chance to rethink the typical 9–5 workday. Outside of core collaboration hours, feel free to design a non-linear schedule that fits your life, while helping you make an impact. We’re still finalizing our guidance on non-linear work and will update you in the new year. Meanwhile, please talk to your manager if you’re interested — and be sure to clearly communicate any schedule changes to the people you work with most.
What’s next?
Virtual First is a new experiment for Dropbox, and we’re approaching it with a learning mindset. We’ll be checking in a lot over the next six months. If something’s not working for our business or culture, we’ll try something new!
In the meantime, if you’ve got Virtual First questions or suggestions, please call Alastair directly email us at virtualfirst@dropbox.com.
