# Virtual Team Meeting Rooms

Signally availability of your team members is important in a remote-first world.  You can’t just look over at someone's desk and see if they are there or if they are in deep work with a “DO NOT DISTURB” face.  Using the status on Slack can solve part of the problem, but that only really saying when you are not available, “In a meeting” or “Out sick”, but it doesn’t work as well for "I want to pair" or even "fancy a coffee".&#x20;

TLDR: create a dedicated slack channel, put in some "enduring" zoom links, when you are on the zoom call then add your emoji so others can see and join. &#x20;

#### Set it up:

* Setup a new slack team-based slack channel which is dedicated to the task e.g. #clientx-meeting-rooms.  Do not use this channel for anything other than adding the room details&#x20;
* Create team slack Emoji’s, one for each team member preferably with a real photo and name.  ![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IfKqWYCnJgonsBRSdzpAqKBw0qrRmreAwFDEvZuGltE8DAOGfSDDoOYIIVrJ4kvXp8F0w0od1cbv1KFOaSfLLA1a3wRHFtCTPL-hmwDDeC7ALnt5uiI7EzQK0YulmKWNQ_YvJhYQ)
* With a pro zoom licence, create a small number of ‘Enduring Meetings Links’. Schedule a meeting in zoom and create a recurring meeting (Recurrence = No Fixed Time).
* Add these links to the channel and label their purpose. E.g. meeting room, watercooler

#### Running it:

* If you join a meeting link then add your emoji
* If you leave a meeting link then remove your emoji&#x20;
* Rooms are available on a first-come-first-serve basis
* Try “Hey are you free, I’m in clientx meeting room#1 with Sarah to chat about this, can you join now”? &#x20;

![](https://2622819451-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LteCwbX785jMrQqW4Uf%2F-MQS-vR4wgOKSLNn0kiW%2F-MQS1G9JsB1p70Vl1llF%2FScreenshot%202021-01-07%20at%2013.28.27.png?alt=media\&token=baa4660d-9dac-4b4f-95de-4b26002c7f66)

This has been tried and tested with the CondéNast project with significant success, where it has helped to bring back some of the feeling of being co-located but in a remote way.&#x20;