{"id":288384,"date":"2022-12-05T15:43:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T15:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/project.co\/?p=288384"},"modified":"2024-06-13T15:51:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T15:51:48","slug":"asynchronous-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project.co\/asynchronous-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Asynchronous Communication: What it is and How to Nail it"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last updated on 13th June 2024<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With remote and hybrid work apparently here to stay, the concept of effective asynchronous communication – peoples\u2019 ability to chat and share ideas from different locations, replying at their own convenience – has become a crucial part of the discussion around how work \u2018works!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post we\u2019ll take a look at the modern world of asynchronous communication. What does it mean? How does it work? Which tools are available? And what are the hot tips and best practices for nailing it successfully in a newly remote world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is asynchronous communication?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Asynchronous communication is a conversation between two or more people who aren\u2019t required to be “present” at the same exact moment in time. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can happen through a variety of methods, including letters, email, text messaging, online chat, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s any form of communication you send to someone who isn\u2019t in the same place as you, and you\u2019re not expecting an instant response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is synchronous communication?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Synchronous communication is when all parties are required to be present at the same time in order to communicate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The obvious example is face-to-face conversation, although technology can play a part here, too – tools like video conferencing, and phone calls, are actually examples of synchronous communication, since they facilitate conversations that happen in real-time,  <\/strong>even though those conversations take place remotely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of asynchronous communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As previously mentioned, letters and, more recently, emails, are the classic examples of asynchronous communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you write a letter or send an email, you tend not to be expecting an immediate response: it\u2019s priced in that the recipient will read it and respond at their convenience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other examples of asynchronous communication include text messaging, online chat, and forums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, asynchronous communication works best for:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n – \u2018Broadcast\u2019 information<\/strong> – news updates, team announcements, etc. where info needs to be read and digested, and no immediate response is expected or necessary.
– Discussions with advanced ideas<\/strong> that require deep thought and careful consideration – not \u2018off the cuff\u2019 thinking.
– Feedback<\/strong> – e.g. on work performance or a piece of creative work.\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Synchronous communication, on the other hand, tends to work best for:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n – Rapid fire collaboration<\/strong> – e.g. brainstorms, ideation meetings
– Performance reviews<\/strong> and 1-to-1 meetings – so issues can be unpacked, and discussed properly.
– Social events<\/strong> – for obvious reasons!\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Advantages of asynchronous communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Asynchronous communication has a few advantages over synchronous communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most significant advantage is that it doesn\u2019t require everybody to be present at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With remote work<\/a> more common than ever, keeping your projects moving forward without waiting for everybody to be in the same place at the same time, is a welcome relief. You can get everyone on the same page without being in the same place!<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s particularly valuable when working internationally across different time zones – which wouldn\u2019t be possible synchronously without extreme disruption to people\u2019s lifestyles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another advantage is that it can be less disruptive than synchronous communication. People are able to fit their management of communication in around their own timetables – giving them time and space to focus on \u2018deep work\u2019 where required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, they might choose to only check their inboxes for half an hour in the morning, and half an hour in the afternoon, spending the rest of the day doing actual project work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disadvantages of asynchronous communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s be clear, asynchronous communication also has a few disadvantages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One disadvantage is that it can be difficult to gauge tone. For example, if you receive an email that\u2019s short and direct, it might be interpreted as rude – whereas actually, the person sending it was just in a rush or had something else on their mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The subtleties and nuances of body language simply don\u2019t come across in most written correspondence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another disadvantage is that asynchronous communication can sometimes feel less personal than synchronous communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In teams working fully remotely, it\u2019s always a good idea to schedule some \u2018face time\u2019 as well as encouraging asynchronous communication where necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Recommended Article\n<\/div>\n
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28 Tips for Managing Remote Teams in 2023<\/a><\/div>\n
Managing remote teams can be a challenge. So we’ve compiled a list of 28 useful tips to help make things easier!<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Tools for asynchronous communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a variety of tools that can be used for asynchronous communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at a few of them\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project.co <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s probably no surprise that we include ourselves at number 1 on the list(!) but in all sincerity, we really built Project.co<\/a> for asynchronous communication: a tool to bring people together wherever they are and whatever they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each project on Project.co is a blank canvas for you to put together the tools you need to get the job done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can invite people to your projects, whether that\u2019s members of your team, freelancers or clients\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Use the \u2018Discussion\u2019 tool to chat about the specific details of a project\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Create \u2018Tasks\u2019 which can be given dates and allocated to people within your team, to keep the deliverables moving and the project moving forward\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(Each \u2018Task\u2019 has its own \u2018Discussion\u2019 feature, too, for communication relevant to that individual task\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when we talk about \u2018communication\u2019 we\u2019re not just talking about \u2018messaging\u2019 – but visibility, the sharing of information important to your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With Project.co you can see where projects are up to at a glance, share important files, and embed your favourite tools for asynchronous review and feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slack<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Slack\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an argument to be made that, as an instant messaging tool, Slack is right on the boundary between asynchronous and synchronous communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However it makes the list purely because it\u2019s a great way to chat with remote team members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see who\u2019s online at any given stage, as well as the ability to set custom statuses – for example, to let the team know that you\u2019re starting late or out on annual leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone\u2019s available and online, Slack often represents a good way to get a speedy reply to any issues you may be facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if they\u2019re offline, in true asynchronous style – they\u2019ll be able to pick up and reply to your message when they next log on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s impossible to talk about asynchronous communication without discussing email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For all its limitations, email is incredibly widely used in business – both for external and internal communication.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 55%<\/strong> of businesses primarily use email to communicate with their clients, and 31%<\/strong> of businesses say email is the primary tool for communication between colleagues.\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Project.co Communication Statistics <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s the perfect example of asynchronous communication – the good, and the bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good: your inbox<\/a> gives you a chronologically ordered list of correspondence to work through, and reply at your own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the bad: without a system to progress the actionables from your inbox, things can get missed and the whole thing can become pretty overwhelming and disorganised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google Drive<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another classic modern example of asynchronous communication, Google Drive lets you work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations and other types of documents. You can edit the docs, leave comments and suggested changes, and your colleagues can review them either in real-time, or whenever they\u2019re ready – with one central cloud-based doc, rather than lots of different versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve included Google Drive in our list here, but it\u2019s one of many tools you can embed in Project.co to review creative work asynchronously – including Figma<\/a>, Miro<\/a> and Frame.io<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wistia Soapbox<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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