6 Meetings That Should Be Held Asynchronously in the Pandemic Era

Over the past year, organizations have learned valuable lessons about the necessity and effectiveness of asynchronous communication, especially as remote work has become the norm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More companies are transitioning from traditional synchronous meetings (whether online or in-person) to asynchronous formats that better suit the needs of a distributed workforce. This shift has been key to maintaining productivity while also offering employees more flexibility.

But how do we determine which meetings should be synchronous (held at the same time) and which should be asynchronous (completed without requiring everyone to meet simultaneously)?

Let’s explore six types of meetings that, based on my experience, are better suited for asynchronous formats:

1. General Information Sharing

For meetings focused on general information dissemination, such as company updates, notifications, or announcements, there’s no need to gather everyone at the same time. Simple notifications or updates can be shared via company-wide channels, email, or internal messaging apps. For example, public notices sent via SMS or posted on your company’s intranet are ideal ways to communicate this type of information.

This approach allows employees to absorb the information at their own pace, reducing the need for a scheduled meeting that takes up valuable time without adding significant value.

2. Status Updates

Team members frequently need to stay updated on project progress and workload status. While it’s important to keep everyone informed, there’s no need for a live meeting to deliver status updates. Instead, utilize internal communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email to send out weekly progress reports.

Consider this: If you hold a one-hour meeting with 12 people each week, that’s 12 hours of work time wasted per session. Over the course of a year, that’s 624 hours lost. By switching to asynchronous status updates, teams can receive the information they need without interrupting their workflow.

By optimizing communication in this way, you give team members the ability to read and respond when they have time, increasing overall efficiency.

3. Brainstorming Sessions

Though many teams still rely on synchronous brainstorming sessions, studies have shown that asynchronous brainstorming can be just as effective, if not more so. The reason? It allows participants to take time to think critically and contribute their ideas without the pressure of real-time discussions.

David Fishlock, a seasoned developer, has pointed out that typically only a small subset of people actively participate in a brainstorming session, while others tend to stay passive. By shifting brainstorming activities to an asynchronous format, you can engage everyone. Start by posting the topic in your team’s messaging platform and give everyone 5-6 days to contribute ideas at their own pace.

This approach eliminates the rush, provides more thoughtful input, and avoids the pressure to come up with ideas on the spot. Plus, it allows individuals to work when they are most productive.

4. Planning Sessions

While planning sessions are critical for a project’s success, they don’t always need to be synchronous. Most of the information covered in these meetings can be shared asynchronously. The key is to document the plan or responsibility matrix and then distribute it to all team members, whether they were present or not.

An effective way to do this is by creating a shared document, outlining the plan, project roles, and key deliverables. Ensure all team members, whether in the meeting or not, have access to the content and are encouraged to ask questions or add comments in a dedicated space (e.g., a Slack thread or email chain).

For example, you can create a blog post for your organization titled “Starting a New Project with Asynchronous Teams” to guide team members through the planning process. By taking this approach, you avoid the logistical challenge of scheduling a meeting where everyone is available and allow individuals to absorb the information at their own convenience.

5. Progress of Work

In the early stages of a project, various tasks happen concurrently: new hires are onboarded, team dynamics shift, and various stakeholders are brought in. Instead of scheduling frequent synchronous meetings to update everyone, consider using email chains, messaging platforms, and shared progress reports to keep everyone informed.

By organizing these communications clearly and efficiently, each team member can track their progress and understand what others are working on, without requiring live meetings.

This type of communication structure allows your team to stay aligned without wasting hours in unnecessary meetings. For more targeted discussions, use private chats or emails to update specific individuals. If necessary, you can always loop in other stakeholders.

6. Review Sessions, Demos, and Feedback

Feedback is often more valuable when participants have time to reflect and provide thoughtful input. When reviewing a demo or a newly developed product, giving stakeholders ample time to digest the content and share feedback asynchronously can yield much better results than trying to do it in a time-constrained synchronous meeting.

By allowing reviewers to digest the product demo or review code at their own pace, they can provide more detailed and useful feedback. Tools like project management platforms, shared documents, and video-recorded demos are great for this. You can even set up a feedback deadline, giving reviewers a few days to submit their thoughts.

The Case for Reducing Synchronous Meetings

While there’s no doubt that certain types of meetings require real-time participation, reducing the number of synchronous meetings can increase productivity significantly. For example, when you stop holding a weekly status update meeting for a team of 12, you save 12 hours per week. Over the course of a year, that’s 624 hours that can be redirected to productive work.

Asynchronous meetings help remote teams stay connected without the hassle of coordinating schedules and can boost overall morale by allowing employees to work at their own pace.

When Synchronous Meetings Are Necessary

While the shift toward asynchronous meetings is beneficial, some sessions still need to be synchronous. These include:

• Onboarding and Introduction of New Members: Personal introductions allow for a stronger connection, especially when meeting new team members. The chance to hear voices and see faces helps build rapport and makes the onboarding experience more engaging.
• Important Decisions: If urgent decisions need to be made or critical issues arise, synchronous meetings are essential to avoid delays.
• Complex or Detailed Documentation: For intricate workflows or procedures, it’s best to meet with all stakeholders present to ensure the document is complete and accurate.
• Emotional or Sensitive Conversations: Discussions requiring empathy, such as performance feedback or personnel changes, should always be done synchronously to ensure proper tone and understanding.

Conclusion

As organizations continue to adapt to the ongoing pandemic and remote work environments, it’s essential to reassess how we approach meetings. By shifting the right types of meetings to asynchronous formats, we can improve productivity, reduce unnecessary interruptions, and create a more flexible work environment.

To start, consider transitioning one of your regularly scheduled synchronous meetings to an asynchronous format. Assess the results and gather feedback from your team. If successful, gradually implement more changes and share your experience. The future of work involves smarter, more efficient communication methods—let’s embrace them.