Why you should switch to a more asynchronous work style

Lockdown, Remote collaboration, Future of Work, Asynchronous Communication…Sounds familiar? If asynchronous (Async for short) does not ring a bell, we will try to explain the important role it played in changing the way we have worked in 2020.

Indeed, the Coronavirus crisis has forced almost all companies to shift to remote collaboration. Remote has fostered the development of new ways of collaborating, working and communicating. Such changes in the way we work will have long-term impacts: according to a study[1], 84% of respondents wish to continue to work from home after the restrictions imposed by the crisis. How can we make the most out of these changes? Asynchronous is part of the answer. Working in a different way is good, but working in a more productive and clever way is better. Introducing more asynchronous habits will not only make your team more productive but also healthier and fulfilled.

[1] Malakoff Humanis

Why is the good old synchronous way a thing of the past ?

First things first, what does this async (buzz)word really mean? Literally, asynchronous means “not synchronous” (what an insight), namely not simultaneous in time. For instance, asynchronous communication means that you will send a message without expecting an immediate answer. On the opposite, you will of course get a direct answer when you talk in real-time with people, but you will also expect an almost immediate answer while using most of the digital communication tools (WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, Zoom..).

(Source : Doist)

What’s wrong with that? Applying synchronous habits and expecting an immediate reaction in your organization is nothing but unproductive. Here are some negative consequences that it can lead to:

👉Lack of productivity: The need for reactivity is prioritized over the exigence of productivity. A study from Yahoo Labs (2015) has highlighted that the average time of response to an e-mail is 2 minutes. E-mail, that is in fact the most common async tool, is then mostly used in a synchronous way, because of our strong synchronous habits. Adobe also revealed that we spend 6 hours per day checking our e-mails[1]. Consequently, workers are spending more and more time on “shallow” work such as processing e-mails, responding to them or to team chat tools rather than focusing on their work.

👉Lack of concentration: Teams are indeed constantly interrupted with synchronous communication, notifications and noisy chats. It is then far more difficult for workers to achieve real progress in their work. According to a study by the University of California, we need 23 minutes on average to refocus on the original task after being interrupted.

👉More Stress: Stress increases when synchronous work style is also applied to remote collaboration. Employees feel they need to be constantly available to prove that they are truly working. Asynchronous communication is also a matter of trust.

👉Lack of priority: As said earlier, the average response time for an e-mail is 2 minutes. Some urgent e-mails indeed require a response within 2 minutes, but most of the time, there is no immediate urgency. Yet, synchronous workstyle puts everything on the same level: nothing is prioritized by workers and this hinders productivity.

[1] https://blog.adobe.com/en/2015/08/26/email.html#gs.ji13hb

Here’s a good news : async tools exist and can help you solve such issues

Async tools are not that new. You might already be using some asynchronous tools without even knowing it. Let’s take for example the well-known Google Docs & Sheets: they are tools that enable you to work on the same project/document, but everyone can contribute whenever he or she wants. Team members do not have to work at the same time to work on the same project. E-mail is also one of the oldest async tools.

Yet, as we have seen earlier, these tools are not enough to implement an efficient async working culture because we tend to use them in a synchronous way. A new wave of companies advocates for more asynchronous solutions. We can mention companies such as Doist, the remote company behind the productivity app “Todoist” and the communication App “Twist” claiming to “embrace asynchronous teamwork” but also Loom, Notion, GitHub, Thread, or Front. France also has its share of start-ups providing async tools at work. For instance, we at Bpifrance Digital Venture have invested in Klaxoon, a visual collaboration and teamwork productivity solution. Until recently, we were also investors in Easyrecrue (that has been acquired by iCIMS), a pre-recorded video interview SaaS solution, which helps to implement more asynchronous habits in the recruiting process.

Who are the main async players?

Async habits can start by embracing asynchronous communication, but not only: tools dedicated to Video, Documentation, Team collaboration or even Project Management can help you switch to a more asynchronous and productive culture. Here are a few of them:

Synchronous vs Asynchronous: both must coexist

Let’s face it, Slack, Zoom, and other synchronous communication tools are still making a lot of “noise”. Companies and society as a whole are still very rooted in immediacy, and a fully asynchronous communication would neither be possible nor desirable. Synchronous communication is still needed but the question is: When and how?

When? Doist recommends the following communication stack:

• 70% async using tools like the ones mentioned in the mapping.
• 30% synchronous communication (tools or face to face).

How? This ratio is not the perfect rule to follow but here are a few tips and habits that you could implement within your organization:

👉Prioritize async over synchronous communication: Transparency, autonomy and trust will be needed to make async communication the rule and not the exception. A more systematic use of written communication is a good habit to develop. It allows for documentation and facilitates knowledge sharing and information tracking.

👉Use synchronous communication wisely, in the following cases: Urgent situations, relationship and team buildings. The social part of work should not be downplayed; use dedicated time for 1–1 meetings, short team’s updates and team building activities. Complex problems, debates or brainstorming also need to be tackled in synchronous manner.

👉Reduce the time of synchronous meetings by making them more productive: Indeed, workers are often complaining about these all-too frequent and so-called “toxic” meetings. Klaxoon, for instance, can be used asynchronously and synchronously for any type of meeting to make them shorter, more interactive, and more productive. Other start-ups such as Acapela or Redesk solve the problem of inefficient meetings through a solution of Async Meeting Platforms.

Whether you are working remotely or not, trying to implement more async tools and habits will help you make your team more productive and feel less stressed and more fulfilled!

You are working on async solutions? Please write to us at digitalventure@bpifrance.fr, we will be happy to discuss.