WLP341 Whats Going On: Will Asynchronous Communication Save Remote Work?
Maya and Pilar share their thoughts on the last two episodes, both of which covered different aspects of asynchronous communication. While some organisations are still struggling with incorporating a “good” version of async, others are getting ready to introduce AI. Where will it all end?
One of the things that resonated with our co-hosts in Pilar’s conversation with Sumeet Gayathri Moghe, author of “The Async First Playbook'” was the fact that asynchronous communication is not just about avoiding real-time meetings but about creating an inclusive and flexible work environment. This approach is particularly beneficial for global teams, allowing members in different time zones to contribute without the pressure of synchronising schedules. It also plays a crucial role in accommodating personal working styles and life commitments.
Asynchronous communication provides individuals the time to process information and articulate their thoughts, leading to more thoughtful and inclusive discussions. This aspect is particularly crucial in diverse teams where members might have varying levels of proficiency in the common working language. (Check out episode 339 with Sumeet.)
Next up, Maya and Pilar discuss episode 340, with Witzke Van Osch's where she talked about her research, published in the MIT Sloan Review. The study's findings suggest that the nature of online groups (private vs. public) significantly influences the kind of creativity that emerges. Private groups often become safe spaces for risk-taking and innovative thinking, as they offer a sense of security and intimacy. In contrast, public groups, visible to the whole organisation have the potential to spread the learning beyond the discussion.
Understanding these dynamics can be crucial for managers and team leaders in structuring online collaborative spaces. For instance, fostering private groups could be a strategy to encourage out-of-the-box thinking or to tackle sensitive projects, while public groups could be geared towards more organisation-wide initiatives and brainstorming. This shows that time and thought needs to be given to how we set up online spaces in teams and organisation.
Another issue that Maya picked up from episode 339 was Sumeet’s comment about the need to develop the skill “focused reading” in order to be good at asynchronous communication. Maya is concerned that younger generations are not used to it, while Pilar suggests that schools teach these kind of skills, rather than worrying about cheating with chagGPT. (And actually, many adults now don’t do any focused reading, and a lot of it is done on the go.)
13.08 MINS
”We believe asynchronous video and AI will be the next evolution of team collaboration.”
https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/atlassian-acquires-loom
The acquisition of Loom by Atlassian shows the importance of video in asynchronous communication.
Loom (which has been around since 2016), enhanced with AI-generated captions, illustrates how AI can make video communication more accessible and searchable, turning these snippets into valuable knowledge repositories. This evolution points towards a future where various media forms, supported by AI, become integral to remote work communication. It’s not just that it’s easy to record video, it’s also that now video is easy to scan through the automatic generation of a transcript.
If asynchronous communication evolves, there won’t be so much emphasis in writing, making it even more inclusive.
18.29 MINS
So, Pilar asks, will asynchronous communication save remote work?
Maya didn’t know it was drowning!
Asynchronous communication should be part of a strategic approach to making remote work work, rather than just a tool. This strategy requires a shift in mindset from traditional synchronous communication norms. It also requires educating employees about the different ways of using it. For example, Pilar is aware that in many organisations, people create chats in Teams instead of setting up channels. Sometimes this is because channels need to be created by the main Admin, but other times it’s because people don’t know that channels exist, or how they can be used.
(Meanwhile, within organisations, does the push towards transparency mean there is a lack of trust?)
So what about the deployment of AI tools like Microsoft's 365 Copilot? If they’re integrated in a rush, like online collaboration tools were, it’s going to be useless and stress everyone out - or lead to many ditching the tools before they have understood how they can make their lives better.
32.25 MINS
Will a new role be emerging in organisations? In an episode of The Marketing AI Show, Pilar heard how organisations would benefit from having people who look at how to implement the tools strategically and design guidelines of how they should be used both within internal communication and external work.
Going back to the conversation around async, will it always be taken as seriously as real-time conversations? Pilar has seen many think that anything that is important, should be tackled in meetings.
And will it lead to presenteeism? Many of the issues of traditional work methods can be carried over online, even with the introduction of asynchronous communication…
42.35 MINS
Thank you to listener Richard for sending this article through, Rehumanize Your Workplace by Working Out Loud.
and saying that the first time they heard about Working Out Loud was on this show!
We’d love to hear what you think about all this! And if you have any questions or any recommendations for future topics, do get in touch!
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