The Long-Distance Teammate

Chapter 13

Participating in Meetings

Joanna is like many remote workers. She knows that meetings, even virtual ones, provide a chance to connect with her leader and teammates and can support the work she does. But they are meetings! Too often they feel like an interruption to her and are boring. Besides that, they can be uncomfortable. When she has something she wants to say, she never knows when to say it, and often she feels ignored—an example of out of sight and out of mind.

Chances are, you know how Joanna feels—you’ve thought or felt some or all of what she’s experienced. When it comes to working remotely and meetings, a remote teammate has four responsibilities:

1. Be prepared for the meeting.

2. Be present.

3. Be valuable.

4. Be diligent ...