Meeting structures and guidelines 

Space for life: Meetings are 25 or 50 minutes, because your brain needs space between meetings! 

Be open and clear about your needs: Open calendars and clear blockers for lunch, focus time, and 'out of office' help us all adapt to each other's needs. Don't forget to set your location and general availability too! Remember that lunch in Norway is often 11-12, while in Sweden it is typically 12-13.

Note: If you receive meeting invitations from external people that are confidential, make sure to double-check that the meeting is private in your calendar. If you feel that you have a specific need to have your calendar private by default (for example, if most of your meetings are sensitive), please discuss this with your nearest leader

Consider stacking: Most of us love large blocks of focused work time. Consider stacking meetings to create those opportunities for yourself and others, remembering those crucial 5-10 minute breaks!

Be flexible: For smaller meetings, especially 1-2-1s, allowing for the other person to also move the meeting when needed is a great way to save time when scheduling. 

Respect time, yours and theirs: Before sending an invite, ask: who truly needs to be here? And what value will they gain? Remember, it's okay to decline or even cancel if a quick Slack message could do the trick. The same goes for the participants, challenge if the meeting is needed. Your time is valuable, and so is theirs.

Be clear about WHY: Provide the Objective, Desired outcome, and Agenda (ODA) of the meeting when booking it (or ensure participants know what it is when they get the invite). It helps everyone come prepared and maximize our time together. 

Be prepared: A lot of meetings are better when people are prepared. This enables us to spend time on discussions rather than presentations. The host is responsible for sharing preparation needs up front, while each participant should block and take the time to prepare. Let the host know if you are unable to prepare, as they may want to move the meeting til later. 

Be present if you are present: If you choose to attend, commit fully. Put away distractions and engage. Your presence matters.

Follow the agenda: Sometimes we get engaged and derail onto topics that are not the purpose of the meeting and may not be relevant for everyone listening. It is okay to interrupt in these cases and kindly ask that the topic be parked for a different forum. The host is responsible for structuring the discussion.

Consider remote participants: When hybrid, everyone should join the meeting on their own computer. This ensures remote participants can see all faces clearly. Please indicate your attendance (in-person or remote) in the calendar invite beforehand.

Systematically evaluate meetings: For recurring meetings, regularly ask: Is this still valuable? What can we improve? Or should we just cancel it altogether?