UrbanWorks is an organisation with 100% remote work. And yet, our work culture allows us to keep our mornings free of meetings. Here’s why.
Since 2017, my work life has been predominantly remote, and in that time, I’ve encountered various morning meeting rituals, whether they’re labelled as “huddles,” “scrums,” or “daily catch-ups.” Honestly, these morning gatherings have often felt more like distractions than productive sessions. But then, I found my sanctuary at The Urban Works Institute.
At UrbanWorks, our mornings are sacred. It’s a time when we dedicate ourselves to planning, organizing, and tackling our tasks head-on. We intentionally schedule most of our meetings for the afternoons, typically after 3 pm, with the exception of (occasional) external engagements.
Instead of drowning in a sea of emails or constantly reporting to superiors and chasing updates from my junior colleagues, we operate under the principle that each team member takes full ownership of their work. In this way, we’ve eliminated the need for those early morning meetings.
It’s worth noting that we function as a 100% remote workplace, yet our work culture is refreshingly unique. We’ve collectively turned off notifications for tools like Slack, WhatsApp, and Gmail, only checking them a maximum of three times a day. In cases of genuine urgency, we resort to the old-fashioned method of picking up the phone. That’s the extent of our digital interruptions.
Now, I understand that our approach might not be suitable for everyone. It requires a high degree of self-motivation and discipline. Nobody appreciates micromanagement, but at the same time, not everyone thrives in an environment without clear direction. This is precisely why we’ve deliberately kept our team small and hired individuals who align with our values and work ethic.
I am grateful to Shreya Gadepalli, who spearheaded this transformation and trusted our team while allowing us the freedom to excel.