The definitive guide for asynchronous meetings & remote comms |

Prior to the shift to remote work I worked as part of the remote team of a digital bank that was always experimenting with different types of remote meeting that were mixed, and they normally went pretty well.

However, it's not always an easy task to maximize efficiency or ensure effective communication in remote meetings, or to even determine what kind of remote meetings to host in the first place.

This article (based on research as well as my own experiences) can help you comprehend the various types of remote meetings and the best ways to run them effectively along with some helpful tips and tricks, choosing the right tools for the job, as well as the common rules for virtual meeting conduct.

The types of remote meetings

Perhaps you haven't given it much thought before, but there are actually numerous types of remote meetings (and most likely, you're somewhat acquainted with the concept). With greater tech advancement in this area it has become possible communicate with remote workers and other team members using either of the following primary methods or a combination of them!

Teleconferencing

From all kinds of remote meetings we'll talk about in this article, teleconferencing possibly the oldest and most tested method. Because it is a type of phone that only uses audio, the technology for it is more advanced and simple than those on the list.

In essence, the hosting host will be on the line' at the time of the meeting, at which point others in the group will be able to 'dial into' the meeting using a specific phone number. Of course, this type of event is best to a smaller group of participants. Not having the ability to view each other might get confusing if multiple people talk simultaneously.

Video conferencing

From the time of the outbreak of a certain pandemic in 2020 video conferencing has been an essential part aspects of our lives, thanks to the likes of Zoom meetings and Microsoft Teams.

Video meetings (conferences) have a similar model to teleconferencing in that a host organizes a real-time meeting where participants 'dial in' using the link or a phone number. The key difference in this case is that participants can be able to see one another and utilize software to make video conferences more effective and enjoyable.

Web conferencing

Lastly, the third most frequent type of virtual meetings is web-based conference. It's simple to confuse this type of meeting with video conferencing, however there's a distinctionweb conferences are usually used for virtual events (like all-hands meetings) or online training or even project collaboration when meetings have an element of practicality to it.

Naturally, this is great for larger-scale projects or large-scale business meetings. They could be setup in a similar manner to a videoconference and may require pre-registration and ticketed attendance.

To add another layer to different meeting types Additionally, you have the possibility of scheduling'sync meeting', or async.

What is an Asynchronous Meeting?

Asynch-based meetings are one type of communication that doesn't happen in real-time, and doesn't normally require an immediate response.

Synchronous communication vs asynchronous communication

When I worked at the bank that I previously mentioned They always worked hard to make sure the remote staff felt comfortable as well as part of the decision-making process, checking-ins, status updates and team-building events. To do that, we needed to use simultaneous and asynchronous gatherings, however every one of them comes with advantages and disadvantages.

 Benefits of synchronous meetings:

• It is the closest thing to in-person meeting.
• Immediate feedback on action issues or discussions.
• Communication in real-time can allow you to share ideas more quickly.

 What's not great about HTML0:

• Most often, there can be people who are naturally quiet or shy, who find it difficult to be a part of the group.
• On the other hand, if everyone has something interesting to say, the meeting could quickly turn into a raunchy mess of people speaking over each other.
• It is possible to experience technology problems or delays in network connectivity at times when you require it most.

 Asynchronous Meetings: Benefits:

• When there's no pressure to make a statement immediately, everyone has a chance to allow their voice to be heard.
• It was easier to arrange appropriate times for meetings that were distributed globally or with night employees of shift teams (something my old workplace benefitted greatly from).

 What's not so great:

• Based on Buffer's state of Remote Work report 20 percent of those who participated stated that loneliness was their most significant issue (which I also can attest to) Meetings that sync are your chance to 'see' other people, so moving into asynchronous communications can add to the feeling of loneliness.
• If a quick response is not required, occasionally employees may not take action or respond altogether.
• A common issue with remote work according the Statista and also applicable to meetings that are async (since they may be going moving back and forth during the workday) is not being able unplug.

In the end, considering both the advantages and disadvantages, there's no doubt that it's about selecting the best method for your event instead of choosing either of the extreme. In this case, I'll concentrate a bit more on the async meetings from here on out (since they're not as well known).

How do you run a successful asynchronous meeting

You're aware of the types of remote meetings there are and the different methods to conduct them, but how do you actually run an Asynchronous Meeting? It can be a bit of a head-scratcher if you're only experienced with having meetings in real time.

As I have no personal experience running meetings (only being a participant in them) I asked few experts, including former Project Manager turned freelance writer, Laura Bosco, about what they believed made successful and efficient Asynchronous meetings. Here's the things she had to say:

 "--the the context and structure of the async communications was a major factor for me -- as they are today for me when working with clients.

Context: Some types of feedback, announcements, or questions are more sensitive or easy to misinterpret. For those, video is better than text because people can listen to your tone and see your face. This minimizes misconceptions and relational harm.

Format: Big fan of BLUF (bottom-line-up-front) in most written comms. It's also much more effective. If your request is concise and concise, you're more likely to receive what you're looking for. For another, it's a way to demonstrate empathy for the recipient. It shows respect for their time and daily influx of messages.

 Additionally, formatting text. Bold, headers, bullets or italics for key requests...these aren't meant to degrade the reader. They assist them to digest the message ."

Laura isn't the only person to say providing context as the best way to use async communication. Michael Steele, CEO of Flywheel Digital (a remote-first technical marketing agency) who is an enthusiastic user of Notion, Google Docs, and Slack to build their tech stack. Also, he mentioned:

 "A important factor to be successful in asynchronous communication, with employees and clients is the ability to give context. Everyone involved must be aware of the objectives, recent events or changes worth noting, and the ability to access important documents such as strategies, marketing personas, and performance reports.

 In asynchronous communication, miscommunications are common and the time spent fixing mistakes and making revisions that could have easily been made without the proper details available from the very beginning."

Concerning the practical side of running the meetings, creator of ScrapingBee (a 100 percent remote business) Kevin Sahin says that aside from having quick real-time meeting with memos prepared in Notion as well, they use Slack:

"Slack is asynchronous and it uses Slack status to determine if a colleague can be reached for a phone call or not. When we write a message within Slack, we don't expect to receive a response immediately. That's the point. Our general approach is to select the right tools for the job."

For an effective meeting asynchronously, you need to ensure that you're using the tools that are properly designed, and provide context as well as the issues you're addressing are done so as to be simple and quick to deal with.

9 suggestions for planning and executing the perfect remote conference

Whether your remote meeting is synchronous or asynchronous however, there are a few generally applicable tips to make them more efficient. A few of these suggestions come from existing research however others stem from personal experience. I'll present them in a before, during, and after arrangement for people who favor real-time, but the information can be applied to meetings that are async.

 Prior to the meeting:

1. Be sure that only those who are essential are invited. If you overcrowd an online meeting, whether that's a video conference or a Slack channel, the information could be lost quickly and less participants will be able to fully participate.
   
2. Set a crystal clear agenda. You can set agendas either for real-time or async-based meetings using the program of your choice, when I was working in a bank, we built Notion templates using fill-in areas like issues we're facing and action points.
   
3. Establish meeting norms. Laura also mentioned an interesting strategy she likes to use that is to write and share "how to collaborate alongside me" document ( like this one), to help set standards and expectations for meetings, as well as for other communications.

 At the time of the session:

1. End and start within the timeframe. This point is especially true for real-time remote meetings, there's not much worse than turning up for a meeting later or running out of time. Time is of utmost importance to people. This is also the case for async meetings -- if you fail to respond in a reasonably timely time, information may go unnoticed or deadlines could be lost.
   
2. Be brief. Similar to the earlier point, there's no much use in an hour-long meeting in real-time when you can make all the points you want using async communication or shorter sessions. As for async, avoid writing huge walls of text or long gaps in videos recorded.
   
3. It is important to ensure that every person can be heard or recognized. As I mentioned in the past, not all people have the temperament to be able to voice their opinions in real-time discussions, and async communications provides those with the ability to do so. As the manager or as a host It's important to keep an eye on the participation of members.

 After the session:

1. Receive feedback from your attendees. If you're experimenting with different types of events, it's crucial to collect feedback from participants so you can find what's effective in terms of the style of communication and method. Different software may work better than others for different people.
   
2. Provide a means of communication for follow-ups. Generally speaking, it's best to create a channel of communication or virtual place where attendees can share ad-hoc points about the conference or provide updates about action points, without messing in the actual meeting.
   

So you might be wondering at this point, "those tips are all well and good But what's the deal with programs?", this next article will answer that question.

Software for remote meetings

Naturally, one of the major considerations for having remote meetings of any kind is making sure you're equipped with the appropriate technology to begin with. For synchronous meetings, naturally popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams/Skype, and Google Meet do the trick pretty well. However, the process is slightly different with meeting that are async.

A few of the most well-known Asynchronous Meeting Software (which also happen to be mostly project management tools) Some, which were previously mentioned are:

•   Slack
•   Trello
•   Google Docs
•   Asana
•   Notion
•   Basecamp
• If you're part of a group of devs, Gitlab or Github are great options.

Selecting the best tool to host your virtual meetings

A majority of the tools for collaboration I've listed above are text-based or for messaging and other collaboration tools may be made up of text, image, or video. Also, as Laura stated previously, context and design is crucial.

 For simple project updates

If you're just looking for ways to bring people up current on what the project's situation is like, apps such as Trello, Asana, and Notion are excellent for this. As an example I (and my previous workplace) make use of Notion "boards" to give overviews of current statuses for projects as well as diving in to read comments.

You can do a similar "board" style of organization in all the apps previously mentioned.

 For continuous updates

If your team or project needs to be easy to get in touch with but doesn't require regular meetings that are held in-person, most of the tools mentioned are okay, Basecamp in particular is excellent, however Slack is the best in this particular aspect.

In my previous workplace, every team was given their own Slack channel in which they could have basically asynchronous stand-ups and there were company-wide channels for more general discussions. Of course, I don't have access to the specific Slack workspace, however I do have some Slack workspaces I use in a similar way:

 For more intricate or sensitive information

Just as Laura stated, certain types of data require personal touch. There is no need to keep details that are misinterpreted or is lost in the shuffle of articles and tasks. In order to avoid that, you'll need to use video, and has your back.

In addition it is possible to track who has viewed your video and collaborate on the comment section.

It's not always easy to figure out exactly the best software or technique to choose since every team works differently, so you should start by experimenting and not being afraid to switch gears if one doesn't work for you.

The remote playbook: etiquette to conduct virtual meetings

The final topic discuss in this article is meeting etiquette. Some of the concepts may be familiar to those who have been through what we've already covered However, it's worthwhile to outline exactly what common manners of meeting at a remote location look similar to.

For synchronous meetings, we've experienced countless Zoom calls to know these general guidelines (and still accidentally break them):

• You should ensure that you're not on mute when you're speaking.
• Be in a quiet place where other people can focus on you (not the washing machine that is running in the background).
• Check out the features you would like to implement before deciding so that you don't waste time trying to figure it out at the time of session.

However, the situation is a little different when considering meeting that are synchronous, and rules of engagement can be different based on the channel or method of communicating.

for text-based channels (e.g. Notion, Slack etc.)

• Be sure to include relevant information in the right channel/thread/page (or if you're referencing something relevant, provide a link to said thread/page).
• You shouldn't view it as an mail. This means that you should acknowledge an email or even a task instead of leaving it in your email inbox (in Slack, you can sign a message by using an emoji! ).
• Remember that everyone has their own lives. If you're using asynchronous communications is easy to forget that there are people operating at the same time as you. Make sure that someone is online prior to notifying them via push notifications.

 Asynchronous video calls

• Be sure that the camera and microphone are good enough to allow people to understand what you're talking about.
• You should have a specific takeaway that you wish to share with other people -- nobody wants to sit through a video and not learn anything new.

Naturally, these are only general etiquette guidelines. You may be in a position to have your specific rules of communication with each other and what technology to use. If so, keep these rules as you learn the basics or setting the rules.

Get off to a good start with remote meetings

Similar to most relationships in life, effective communication is the key to successful day-to-day business However, it doesn't always have to be in the moment.

Asynchronous remote meetings can aid in more productive conversations, involve all of your team members, and foster a culture of transparency (since async comms are naturally recorded). If you're contemplating adopting a more asynchronous approach you should consider trying different methods to determine which one works best for your needs.