Scheduling Across Timezones Checklist

Before you pick a time

1. Collect each attendee’s city plus the window they’ll actually take calls (not “business hours” marketing approved).
2. Scan the next month in the DST Planner so you know who is about to shift an hour.
3. Decide whether this truly needs a live meeting or can be async; all other steps hinge on that answer.

Finding a slot

1. Drop the cities into the Timezone planner and set honest working hours.
2. Copy the green overlap windows into your doc; label them “core” (safe) vs “stretch” (someone loses sleep).
3. Pick a rotation cadence (weekly, monthly) if the stretch windows are the only option.

Communicate clearly

• Write the weekday, UTC stamp, and a couple of key city conversions directly in the invite.
• Attach the Timezone screenshot/link so newcomers see the math instead of guessing.
• Ping the team 24 hours ahead with localized times so nobody converts in their head five minutes before bed.

During the meeting

• Keep the World Clock wallboard visible so the facilitator knows who is sacrificing sleep.
• Start on time and keep small talk short when someone is calling in at 00:30 their time.

After the meeting

• Send notes/recording immediately so the midnight crowd can disconnect.
• Re-run the Timezone plan quarterly or whenever DST hits.
• Retire old invites so ghost meetings don’t keep popping up at impossible hours.

Escalation & ownership

• Assign primary and backup hosts in different regions so a single outage doesn’t cancel the slot.
• Keep their contact info and escalation steps in the invite description.
• Use the saved Timezone link to propose a new slot instead of arguing in chat.

Retro quickly

• Ask each region what hurt after major launches or workshops.
• Note painful slots and fold the learnings back into this checklist.

FAQ

How many timezones are too many for one call?

Once you span more than three continents, prefer async updates or two smaller calls. The overlap will be punishing for someone otherwise.

Should I record the meeting?

Yes when privacy allows. Pair the recording with written notes so people who skip the live call still get the action items quickly.

What if DST changes mid-project?

Re-run this checklist and announce the new slot as part of the project update. Treat DST like any other risk.