Mastering Remote Team Productivity via Asynchronous Collaboration

Asynchronous communication is not new, as outlandish as it sounds. Think about it — the postal service has allowed people to communicate asynchronously for hundreds of years.

However, since the advent of digital communications and the more recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, asynchronous communication systems are more popular than ever, especially when it comes to effective team collaboration.

At the most basic level, asynchronous communication is any kind of communication that occurs with a delay between messages. This includes mail and email, work management software, as well as chat and productivity platforms.

According to McKinsey, 80% of people enjoy working from home more than working in an office, and 41% feel more productive. And it looks like asynchronous collaboration is the thing that makes everything click in remote teams.

In this article, we will dive deep into the possibilities of asynchronous collaboration, exploring what it is, what kinds of benefits it can provide in a collaborative work setting, and how companies can harness its power to boost productivity, satisfaction, and communication.

What is asynchronous communication?

Stopping by a colleague’s desk to ask a quick question is an example of ‘synchronous communication.’ This refers to any conversation that takes place in real-time, where all participants have access to what is being communicated. Everyone is synchronized, that is.

On the other hand, asynchronous communication is a delayed interaction. One party communicates a message that the other receives later, then that party responds, and the first sees their response much later. It’s also called syncopated (interrupted) communication due to its lack of real-time responses.

Asynchronous vs. synchronous communication

To run a remote team, it’s essential to understand the difference between asynchronous and synchronous communication. Let’s take a deeper look at both, focusing on their advantages and downsides.

Synchronous communication

Synchronous communication, in which information is conveyed directly in real time, no matter the distance between people conversing, does have important functions.

It can be helpful for live time updates and complex situations that require walking someone through a problem. Likewise, it’s also tailor-made for people who tend to have questions during face-to-face or live voice encounters. Synchronous communication also provides space for more casual banter, which can strengthen a collaborative workplace culture and environment.

You might know the following as synchronous communication:

• In-person conversations
• Phone calls
• Direct messaging conversations, with real-time back-and-forth responses (this includes digital collaboration platforms, such as Slack)
• Video meetings that include the entire team at the same time
• One on one video calls
• Live presentations, demonstrations, webinars, and classes

Asynchronous communication

Asynchronous communication, on the other hand, works a bit differently. Both parties send and receive information on different timelines, which can provide space for employees to work in a self-directed manner. Team members can assemble edits, suggestions, notes, and feedback that fellow collaborators can review on their own time.

Team leaders don’t have to stretch and struggle to fit everyone’s busy schedules into regular meeting slots across time zones. Instead, everyone can proactively work on the shared project in a time frame that works for them.

Examples of asynchronous communication include:

• In-depth email communications
• Pre-recorded video sessions, including training videos, meeting notes, and messages
• Detailed project briefs and task information
• Notes, comments, and suggested edits on shared digital project documents, mood boards,  designs, and images
• Shared research documents and shared digital folders
• Direct messages without the expectation of immediate response
• Tagging relevant collaborators in online digital workspace portals

Adjusting to asynchronous collaboration

With hybrid work and remote work becoming ever more common across all sectors, collaborators need to adjust their expectations around communication. Rather than expecting employees, colleagues, and clients to be available throughout the day, everyone should respect each other’s time and embrace delays.

Asynchronous communication is the new way forward for companies with remote employees in different time zones. Since stopping by a colleague’s desk is physically impossible, you won’t be able to reach them instantly.

Instead, collaborators will need to make space for some questions to remain unanswered until the end of their workday or even the following day, depending on the time zone difference. This can be a challenge presented by asynchronous communication, but ultimately, with a few tweaks, it can also be a major asset for companies.

How does asynchronous collaboration differ from previous kinds of collaboration?

With more traditional types of collaboration, there may be a need for frequent meetings and in-person check-ins, brainstorming sessions, and progress updates. Asynchronous collaboration depends upon each person completing their own part of the project on their own timeline while still abiding by the agreed-upon deadlines. The onus is on personal responsibility, first and foremost.

With asynchronous collaboration, the priority is not getting answers right away; it’s getting work done efficiently. This can be frustrating at first, but it will also teach you to streamline your entire workforce by changing how you get work done together.

Benefits of asynchronous collaboration

While it may pose some challenges to the old norms of collaborative work, asynchronous collaboration modes can actually provide huge benefits for the entire team. If you’re patient and willing to adjust, that is. Before implementing asynchronous methodologies, consider the following:

1. Increase flexibility

With the proper adjustment, colleagues who lean into asynchronous collaboration models can benefit from increased flexibility.

Since they are learning not to demand immediate answers, there is more availability for shifting around how and when individuals work on collaborative projects, each on their own terms and their own schedules.

2. Build trust among team members

Asynchronous collaboration relies on each team member to be responsible for completing their specific tasks in their own timeline. It asks that each colleague is happy to take accountability for their contribution, providing the necessary piece of the puzzle for each step of every project.

Because every team member has greater responsibility, colleagues develop greater trust in each other. Each individual proves that they are a trustworthy team member by working in a self-directed way, so the whole team learns to rely on each other.

3. Maximize efficiency

Asynchronous collaboration provides each team member with the updates and feedback they need to make adjustments in real time and when they are ready.

There’s no rush, which means the whole team can focus on boosting efficiency and streamlining collaborative processes that can otherwise get bogged down in endless meetings. If information is repetitive or unnecessary to share at that moment, collaborators can share and analyze it of their own volition.

4. Clearer communication

The time delay of asynchronous communication means that each team member can carefully gather their thoughts, draft a message or feedback, and then edit that information to hone their meaning.

This method of collaboration also requires everyone to craft more thoroughly researched and thoughtful communications. Although it sounds cumbersome, it actually has a beneficial effect since it relieves that slight bit of anxiety we all feel when sending an email.

How to leverage asynchronous collaboration models

Adjusting from an old-school synchronous communication style to a more interconnected asynchronous mode of collaborating is key to adapting to the new age of remote work. Let’s delve into some specific ways to leverage asynchronous collaboration models to get the best out of your team.

1. Clarify communication channels

Every employee should know which mode of communication is appropriate for sending which kind of message to whom and when.

Clarifying the communication channel etiquette and making company-wide protocols about communication expectations helps ensure that no one will miss an important update by receiving it in the wrong format. Usually, the average remote team’s communication revolves around the following contexts:

1. Managers and bosses can be emailed with requests for meetings or information necessary to communicate to them directly
2. HR can be contacted through digital workspaces like Slack
3. Your team collaborators can be contacted through specific digital workspace channels
4. Comments and feedback can be left directly on digital documents, and by tagging the relevant team member to review the comment, you can rest assured that they will do it when they are on the clock in their time zone

2. Use online tools to boost productivity

The beauty of asynchronous collaboration is that it boosts team productivity by allowing- and even encouraging- each employee to work hard, but efficiently, on their own time. Once your team has gotten a hang of this way of communicating, you can start adopting new tools to increase efficiency further.

And this doesn’t have to be anything complex. Optimization comes in all shapes and sizes. So don’t be greedy and start thinking about enterprise solutions. Instead, consider how your team members can combine PDF files, convert images, and format text.

Even for seemingly simple tasks such as these, it’s important to be very selective about the solutions you use. When combining PDF files, for instance, you’ll want to look for a PDF combiner that allows you to adjust the order of the PDF documents you select before merging them.

Basically, look at the key processes and actions that comprise your team’s workday. If you can optimize them, it will be much easier to hunt for more elaborate solutions down the road. Until then, you can try these tools on for size.

1. Paymo

Paymo is one of the best project management tools with strong time-tracking capabilities. When working remotely, just leave Paymo Track running in the background and link time entries to tasks and projects. Paymo is great for asynchronous communication thanks to notifications and reminders—plus, it smoothly integrates with Slack. What’s more, leaving comments, adding files, and file versioning are useful when working asynchronously or in multiple time zones.

2. Google Drive

Google Drive allows teams to work collaboratively from wherever, whenever. Team members can easily create digital documents, which they can share and edit on short notice.

3. Trello

Trello is another project management system (PMS) you can check out. Each employee can create the equivalent of digital post-it notes to stick up on the wall. Trello is also a great visual organizational tool, allowing teams to create different columns for each project, task, or team member, just like a Kanban board. Anything and everything can be tweaked or customized.

4. Loom

Loom allows team members to record their screens and send the recording as a short video to colleagues, which is excellent for asynchronous collaboration processes. These screen recordings are helpful tools that every team member can reference later. In addition, they serve as an efficient substitute for real-time online training or explanatory job brief meetings.

5. Professional Messaging Platforms

Workplace messaging platforms and apps, such as Slack, Chanty, or Glip, allow team members to create ongoing conversation threads on a project-by-project basis, on a team basis, or through a company-wide channel. They’re a mix between PMS software and traditional messaging apps.

6. Digital Calendars

While asynchronous collaboration cuts down on the number of meetings and live one-on-ones you may have, there will still be scheduling that needs to be done. Employees can update task completion goals, project timelines, and final meetings through shared digital calendars and PMS software. It’s a great way for everyone to remain on the same page.

Final thoughts

As hybrid and remote work continue to thrive, embracing new ways of working together will be vital to moving forward. Asynchronous collaboration is perhaps the most intriguing of these novelties, as it allows teams to work more efficiently, build trust, boost flexibility and resilience, and communicate more clearly.

Combined with digital tools, such as PMS and calendars, asynchronous collaboration enhances employees’ work-life balance, allowing them to mark their mark in their own time, on their own schedule. It’s as if efficiency and freedom had a baby.

First published on September 11, 2023.