A complete guide to asynchronous meetings & remote comms |
Even before the recent shift to working remotely, I used to work in the remote team of an online bank. We were always experimenting with different types of mixed remote meetings and they normally went pretty smoothly.
But, it's never an simple to increase efficiency or ensure effective communications in remote meetings or to even determine what kind of remote meeting to have at all.
This article (based on research as well as my own knowledge) will help you understand the various types of meetings that can be conducted remotely, and how to effectively conduct them along with some helpful tips and tricks selecting the best tools for the job, and also the most common etiquette for virtual meetings.
Different types of remote meeting
It's possible that you didn't give the idea much thought prior to now it, but there's numerous types of remote meeting types (and you're probably already a little familiar with the concept). Thanks to the advancement of technology in this field, we've been able to connect with remote employees as well as other members of the team through one of the primary methods or the combination of these methods!
Teleconferencing
From all kinds of remote meetings we'll talk about, teleconferencing is perhaps the most well-tested and tried method. Since it's a phone call that is audio only and teleconferencing technology is more advanced and simple than the others in this list.
The hosts will be "on the line' during the time of the meeting, at which point the other members of the team will dial into' the meeting using a specific phone number. Naturally, this kind of meeting is best suited for small groups of people -- not being able to see one another could cause confusion if multiple people talk at the same time.
Video conferencing
Since the onset of a specific pandemic around 2020 Video conferencing has now become an integral part of our work lives thanks to the likes of Zoom meetings, as well as Microsoft Teams.
Video meetings (conferences) are similar in model to teleconferencing in that a host organizes a real-time meeting where participants connect by dialing a link or phone number. What makes them different however, is the ability to see each other and use software that makes the video conferences more effective and enjoyable.
Web conferencing
Lastly, the third most common virtual meeting type is web-based conference. It's easy to confuse this type of meeting with video conferencing, but there's a distinctionWeb conferences are typically used to host virtual events (like all-hands meeting) as well as online training or project collaboration where there is an element of practicality in it.
Naturally, this works well for larger-scale events or large-scale business meetings. They may be organized in the same manner to a videoconference, or it can need pre-registration or ticketed attendance.
To add another layer to various meeting formats There is the option to'sync meetings' and 'async.
What exactly is an asynchronous conference?
Asynch-based meetings are one type of interaction that isn't in real-time, and doesn't usually require an immediate response.
Synchronous communication vs asynchronous communication
When I worked at the bank that I mentioned earlier, they always worked really difficult to ensure that the employees who were remote felt at ease and part of decision-making, status updates, check-ins, as well as team building activities. To do that, we had to make use of Asynchronous and Synchronous gatherings, however each has their pros and cons.
| The benefits of meetings that are synchronous | Asynchronous meetings are beneficial |
|---|---|
| Rapid feedback on new ideas | Accommodating to all schedules |
| Real-time collaboration | Can be more inclusive |
| Very similar to in-person meetings | Time savings |
Advantages of synchronous meeting:
- It is the closest thing to in-person meeting.
- Immediate feedback on action issues or discussions.
- The ability to communicate in real time can help you bounce ideas off each other more quickly.
The downside:
- Most often you will meet individuals who tend to be quiet or shy, who find it difficult to be a part of the group.
- On the other hand when everybody has something to share, the discussion can quickly become a hot chaos of individuals speaking about each other.
- There's a risk of technological problems or delays in network connectivity in the time you're needing it most.
The benefits of asynchronous meeting:
- When there's no pressure to make a statement immediately, everybody has the chance to have the voice of their choice to be heard.
- Not having to line up appropriate times for meetings that were distributed globally or with night shift team members (something my former workplace profited greatly from).
The downside:
- Based on Buffer's 2020 State of Remote Work report, 20% of respondents stated that loneliness was their most significant struggle (which I am also able to attest), sync meetings are your chance to 'see' other people, so moving into asynchronous communications can add to feelings of isolation.
- If a quick reaction isn't required, team members might forget to respond or follow up in the first place.
- A common issue with remote working according the Statista, which also applies to meetings that are async (since they are able to go in and out throughout the day) is that it's not possible unplug.
In the end, considering both the advantages and disadvantages, there's no doubt that it's about choosing the right method for your event and not settling for either of the extreme. However, I'm going to concentrate a bit more on async-based meetings from here on out (since they're not as well known).
How can you conduct a profitable online meeting
You're aware of the types of remote meetings there are as well as different options for how to run them, but how do manage an online meeting? It's an issue for those who are used to having real-time meetings.
As I have no personally-experienced experience in running meetings (only participating in meetings) I asked handful of experts, including a the former Project Manager, who later became freelance writer Laura Bosco, what they thought made for efficient and productive asynchronous meetings, here's her response:
"--the nature and context of the async communications was a major factor in my experience and still are in my interactions with my clients.
Context: Some kinds of feedback, announcements or even questions can be more sensitive or easily misinterpreted. In these cases, video can be more effective than text as someone else can hear your voice and also see your face. This reduces the chance of miscommunication and relationship harm.
Additionally, formatting text. Bullets, headers, bold or italics when you are making important requests...these don't belittle the recipient. They help them digest the messages ."
Laura isn't alone to suggest providing context is the most effective way to utilize async messaging. Michael Steele, CEO of Flywheel Digital (a remote first technological marketing company) and a big fan of using Notion, Google Docs, and Slack for their tech stack. He also said:
"A major factor in achieving success in asynchronous communication, with employees and clients is the ability to give the context. Everyone involved must understand the purpose of communication and the most recent developments or events worth noting, and an easy access to the foundational documents such as strategies, marketing personas, and the performance reports.
In asynchronous communications, miscommunications often arise and the time spent fixing mistakes and making revisions that could have easily been avoided with the right details available from the beginning."
Concerning the actual aspect of managing meetings, the founder of ScrapingBee (a 100 100% remote-based company) Kevin Sahin says that besides having short real-time meetings with memos prepared in Notion, they also use Slack:
"Slack is used asynchronously, it uses Slack status to find out if our coworker is available to talk or not. When we write an email within Slack it's not expected to receive to receive a response immediately. That's the point. In general, our philosophy is to select the right software for the task."
For an efficient asynchronous conference one must ensure that you're using the tools correctly, providing context, as well as the issues you're addressing are done so as to be simple and easy to handle.
9 tips for planning and executing the perfect remote conference
If your meeting via remote is either synchronous or non-synchronous, there are still a few generally applicable tips to help them run more smoothly. Some of these tips come from current research and others are derived from experience. I'll present them in a prior as well as after arrangement for people who favor live-time meetings, however the underlying content of these tips can be applied to meetings that are async.
Prior to the meeting:
- Make sure only the most important people are invited. If you overcrowd a virtual meeting such as an online video conference or Slack channel, information can rapidly be lost, and fewer people will be able to actively participate.
- Make a crystal-clear schedule. You can set agendas that are either in real time or async meetings in any software you prefer as I did when working in the bank, we built Notion templates using fill-in areas that reflected the problems we were facing as well as actions points.
- Set meeting standards. Laura also mentioned an interesting strategy she likes to use that is to write and distribute "how to work alongside me" document ( like this one) for helping define norms and expectations in meetings as well as other forms of communication.
In the course of the meeting:
- Begin and end in time. This point is especially relevant for remote meetings, there's not anything worse than showing up at a meeting early or overrunning. The time of the attendees is valuable. It's also true for async meetings -- if you fail to respond in a reasonably timely time, information may go unnoticed or deadlines could be missed.
- Be brief. Similar to the above point, there's not any point to having an hour-long real-time meeting where you're able to achieve the goals you want using async communication or shorter sessions. When it comes to the async method, try to avoid writing massive texts or lengthy interspersed pauses on recorded videos.
- It is important to ensure that every person can be heard or recognized. As I mentioned earlier, not everyone has the personality type that allows them to express their opinion in live discussions, and async communications allows those who aren't to speak up. As a manager or meeting host is still essential to be vigilant about the participation of members.
Following the gathering:
- Receive feedback from your attendees. If you're experimenting using different kinds of meetings, it's essential to get feedback from the attendees so that you can figure what's effective in terms of the style of communication and the channel. Certain software is more effective than others, depending on the type of person.
- Provide a means of communication for follow-ups. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to establish a way to communicate or a virtual place where attendees can share specific points regarding the meeting or updates regarding action items without cluttering with meetings.
If you're thinking at this point, "those tips are all great and well But what's the deal with programs?", this next article will answer that question.
Software to facilitate remote meetings
Naturally, one of the most important considerations when having remote meetings of any type is to ensure that you're using the correct technology in the first place. For meetings that are synchronous popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams/Skype, and Google Meet do the trick quite well. However, it's quite different when it comes to meeting that are async.
The most popular programs for asynchronous meetings (which can also be generally project management tools) Some, which have already been mentioned, include:
Choosing the right tool for your virtual meeting
The majority of collaboration tools I've mentioned above are purely text-based or for messaging and other tools can mix of image, text or video. Also, as Laura stated earlier, context and format are crucial.
For simple project updates
If you're trying for ways to bring people up current on what the project's status is, tools like Trello, Asana, and Notion are great for this. In my case, for instance I (and my previous work colleagues) make use of Notion 'boards' to have an overview of project statuses as well as a way to dive in to read comments.
You can do a similar board-like organization with every app mentioned above.
For continuous updates
If your team or project must be simple to connect with, but does not require daily meetings in person, most of the tools discussed are acceptable, Basecamp in particular is great, but Slack is the best in this one.
At my old workplace, every team was given their own Slack channel in which they could have basically asynchronous stand-ups as well as corporate channels that provided more general discussions. Naturally, I do not have access to that particular Slack workspace, however I do have a few Slack workspaces I use similarly:
for more complicated or sensitive information
Just as Laura said, certain kinds of information require a more human touch. It isn't a good idea to provide details that are misinterpreted or is lost in the shuffle of posts and projects. In order to avoid that, you'll need to make use of video and will be able to count on us.
As a bonus as an added bonus, you can track who has viewed the video, and also participate in the comments.
It's not always easy to determine what software or process to employ since each team works differently, so it's worth experimenting early on and being prepared to change your mind if something isn't working out for you.
The remote playbook: etiquette to conduct virtual meetings
The final subject we'll to cover in this guide is meeting etiquette. Some of the concepts are likely to be familiar from what we've already covered however it's important to know precisely what typical manners of meeting at a remote location look like.
For synchronous meetings, we've been on a lot of Zoom calls to know the general guidelines (and sometimes, we've erred in breaking them):
- Be sure to not be talking on mute while you're speaking.
- Be in a quiet place to allow other guests to focus on your (not your washer that is running).
- Test the features you want to utilize prior to deciding so that you don't waste time trying to figure it out at the time of discussion.
However, the situation is slightly different when it comes to meeting that are synchronous, and manner of conduct can differ based on the mode of communication or channel of the communication.
For channels that use text (e.g. Notion, Slack etc.)
- Make sure you're posting relevant information on the appropriate channel/thread/page (or in the event that you're discussing something relevant, provide the link to that thread or page).
- Do not treat it as email. By that I mean acknowledge a message or a job instead of putting messages in your inbox (in Slack, it is possible to sign a message by using an emoji! ).
- Remember that everyone has their own lives. When using asynchronous communication, it's easy to forget there are people working at the same time when you. Find out if anyone is available before potentially making a push message to them.
Asynchronous video calls
- Make sure your microphone and camera are of good enough for others to understand what you're talking about.
- Have a clear takeaway you would like to pass on to the world -- no one wants to sit through an entire video without learning any new information.
Of course, these are not a set of general suggestions. You may be in a position to have your specific rules of communication with each other and what tools to utilize. In which case, you can bear these as you learn how to use them or creating these rules.
Get off to a good beginning with online meeting
Like the majority of relationships in our lives, effective communication is the key to successful day-to-day business However, it doesn't necessarily have to occur in the moment.
Asynchronous remote meetings will assist you in having more productive conversations, involve the team in a greater number, and foster a culture of transparency (since communications that are synchronously conducted are typically documented). If you're considering adopting a more asynchronous approach, consider experimenting with different tools to find out the best solution for you.