Mastering Asynchronous Work: A Guide to Essential Digital Tools
What is it?
Asynchronous working refers to a style of work where team members do not need to be present or collaborate in real-time to accomplish tasks or projects. In this approach, people work on their tasks independently, at their own pace and preferred time, and communicate through various channels, such as email, messaging apps, or project management tools.
Asynchronous working can offer several benefits, such as:
Flexibility: Team members can work when they are most productive, which can lead to higher efficiency and better work-life balance.
Global collaboration: It enables teams located in different time zones to work together effectively, as they don't need to be online simultaneously.
Focus Time: By reducing the need for immediate responses or constant communication, asynchronous working allows employees to focus on complex tasks or creative projects without constant interruptions.
Inclusivity: Asynchronous communication can give everyone an equal opportunity to contribute to discussions and make their voices heard, regardless of their communication style or seniority.
What tools can help me?
Several tools and platforms facilitate asynchronous working, helping teams communicate, collaborate, and stay organized.. Tools such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams are used everyday and help us collaborate - However, here are some tools which you might not be so familiar with that can help us work in this way.
Yes, even an instant messaging program has features which can help us work asynchronously. The Save it for ‘Later’ feature updated in March this year, allows you to create a to-do list in Slack which you can come back to throughout the day when you have time to focus.
It’s also important to create workplace usage rules and etiquette so everybody knows how to use Slack. Using emojis to respond quickly without cluttering channels/threads, muting/favoriting channels are quick wins when it comes to keeping on top of everything.
Loom is a video messaging tool so it’s different to Zoom which is a video conferencing tool. It’s great for:
Demonstrating how something works and providing training
Delivering feedback or status updates in a nuanced way
Working across time zones
If I’m not online or available for meetings? Then record and share a Loom video. It adds that personal touch which you don’t get from instant messaging or email.
I also use Loom extensively for ‘helper’ videos that can be viewed by my project management team when they have time. It’s super easy to set up and edit videos before distributing. Saving videos in a central repository so the team can refer back to them when needed is a great way to build up workplace content.
Virtual whiteboards aren’t anything new. The first virtual whiteboard was developed and released in 1990 by Xerox Parc. They’ve come a long way to the interactive virtual whiteboard tools available now, which allow us to collaborate online completing various tasks such as:
Agile ceremonies, including Retrospectives which work really well
UX research and workshops
Strategy mapping
So how does this tie-in with asynchronous working. Miro launched Talktrack, which allows you to record interactive video and audio walkthroughs of your Miro board to bring emotion, subtext, and nuance to your creations. Your recording is embedded and played right on the board. It allows to you:
Meeting pre-work - helping the team to prepare before meetings
Async updates and feedback - which can be done in your own time
Recorded presentations - to watch when you’re available
Workshop preparation - exercises such as how to create a sticky note and getting initial feedback can save time
However, asynchronous working also has potential drawbacks, such as slower response times, reduced opportunities for spontaneous collaboration, and challenges in building team cohesion. To balance these aspects, many organisations adopt a hybrid approach, combining both synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous working methods.