The Anywhere Operating System: How to lead a team and run your business from anywhere

by Luke Thomas

While there is no perfect solution, we use the software we build at Friday to automate asynchronous updates. We only have three regularly scheduled meetings a month with this playbook: 1. Weekly Kickoff On Monday at 11 a.m. (in each person’s respective timezone), we ask the entire company the following questions asynchronously: How was your weekend? What do you aim to accomplish this week? The answers to these questions are a mixture of work and fun, exactly what you might discuss in a weekly staff meeting. People will regularly share photos of a hike or family event; but, as a leader, I also can see what people aim to accomplish. This creates accountability, but also helps me privately course-correct and nudge if there’s something more important that someone needs to tackle. You can use this routine to supplement or eliminate your Monday morning staff meeting. 2. Daily Standup Throughout the week, we also have a daily standup where we ask the following questions at 9 a.m.: What did you accomplish yesterday? What are you working on today? Anything else you’d like to share? In all honesty, this is probably the least useful routine we run because it’s so tactical and in the weeds, but it’s also a great way for people to share their work. The last question gives everyone the opportunity to share if they will be out for an appointment or break. You can use this routine to supplement or replace your daily standups/huddles. 3. Friday Check-In Unlike other routines that are trans...