The definitive guide for asynchronous meetings & remote comms |

Prior to my shift into remote work, I had worked as a part of the remote team of the digital bank. We were always experimenting with different types of remote meeting that were not all that well-defined, but they usually went smoothly.

However, it's not always simple to increase efficiency or ensure effective communication when conducting remote meetings or to even determine what kind of remote meetings to host at all.

This post (based on my research along with my personal experiences) will help you understand the different types of remote meetings and the most effective ways to manage efficiently. It will also provide beneficial tips and tricks to choosing the right equipment for your needs, as well as the common guidelines for conducting virtual meetings.

Types of meetings that can be held remotely

You may not have considered it before however, there exist numerous types of remote meetings (and most likely, you're somewhat acquainted with the concept). Thanks to the advancement of technology in this area it has been possible to communicate with remote workers and other team members by using one of the methods listed below or any combination of them!

Teleconferencing

In all of the types of remote conferences we'll discuss in this article, teleconferencing could be the most ancient and researched method. Because it is a type of phone that only uses audio, the technology for it is far more sophisticated and easy than the other options listed.

It is essentially that the host speaker will be on the line' at the date of the event, after which other participants in the audience are able to dial into' the meeting using a specific phone number. This kind of event is best to have a limited number of attendees. The inability to see each other could be confusing when multiple participants are talking simultaneously.

Video conferencing

In the years since the outbreak of a particular epidemic in 2020, videoconferencing is an integral part of the way we live, due to programs like the Zoom meetings and Microsoft Teams.

Meetings using video (conferences) follow a similar structure to teleconferencing, in which the host hosts a live gathering where the participants dial by using a hyperlink or telephone number. What makes this a different case is that participants can be in a position to observe one another and utilize software that makes video meetings productive and entertaining.

Web conferencing

Thirdly, the most popular kind of virtual meeting is a the web-based conference. It's simple to confuse the two types of meetings with video-conferencing, but it's important to distinguish between them. Web-based conferences are typically used to host virtual events (like the all-hands meeting) and online training. They can even for project collaboration in situations where meetings are practical in nature. to it.

This is a great option for larger-scale projects or large-scale corporate meetings. They could be setup in a similar manner to a videoconference, and might need pre-registration or tickets for attendance.

In addition, you can add a layer of various meeting formats there is the option of scheduling'sync meeting', or an async meeting.

What is an Asynchronous meeting?

Meetings that are based on asynch are a type of communications that don't occur at a real-time pace, and don't usually require an immediate response.

Synchronous communication vs asynchronous communication

When I worked at the institution I have previously written about, they did their best to ensure that the remote staff felt comfortable as well as an integral part of the process of making decisions including checking-ins, status updates and team-building events. In order to achieve this we had to make use of the simultaneous and asynchronous meetings, however every one of them has advantages and disadvantages.

 Benefits of synchronous meetings:

• It's the nearest possible thing to a real-time meeting.
• immediate feedback about issues or discussion.
• In real-time, communication allows users to exchange ideas quickly.

What's bad about HTML0:

• The majority of the time, there will be individuals who are quiet or shy, who have a difficult time being in a group.
• However If everyone has something interesting to discuss, the discussion can quickly become a raunchy mess of people who are talking to each other.
• It is possible to experience technology problems or delays in the network's connectivity during moments when you need it most.

Asynchronous Meetings: Benefits:

• If there's no pressure to speak out at once, everyone gets a possibility to have the voice of their own to be heard.
• It was simpler to set the right times for meetings which were widely distributed or with night employees of shift groups (something my previous workplace profited enormously from).

What's not great about HTML0:

• In Buffer's State of remote Work report, 20% of the participants stated that loneliness was the most important concern (which I also can attest to) Synchronized meetings are the chance for you to "see" others, and so moving into asynchronous communications can add to the feeling of being lonely.
• When a fast response is not required sometimes, employees might not react at all or even not take any action.
• The most frequent issue for remote work according the Statista and also relevant to meetings that have an async connection (since they could be around and back throughout the working day) is the inability to unplug.

When you consider both the advantages and disadvantages it's clear that it's all about choosing the right way to organize your occasion, rather than choosing one of the two extreme. This time, I'll concentrate a bit more on the async meetings from here on out (since they're less acknowledged).

How can you conduct an effective asynchronous conference?

There are many types of remote meetings and the different methods to conduct them, but how can you effectively run An Asynchronous Meeting? It's a bit of a head-scratcher if you're only experienced with having meetings that take place in real-time.

As I have no personally experience with managing meetings (only having been a participant of meetings) I consulted a few experts, such as a former Project Manager turned freelance writer, Laura Bosco, regarding what made successful and efficient Asynchronous meetings. Below are the comments she said:

HTML0's "--the the context and format of the async communications was a major factor for me -- like they do today to me in working for clients.

Context: Certain kinds of feedback, announcements, or questions are more sensitive or difficult to interpret. In these cases, video is superior to text since people are able to hear the tone of your voice as well as look at your face. This helps to avoid misunderstandings and relationships 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 clear, you're much more likely to get the results you're seeking. In addition, it's an opportunity to show respect for the receiver. This shows respect for their time and the constant stream of texts.

     Also, you can format text. Bold, headers, bullets or italics for key requests...these do not aim to degrade the reading experience of the user. They help them digest the message . "

Laura isn't the only person who believes that providing context is an effective method to make use of the async method of communication. Michael Steele, CEO of Flywheel Digital (a remote-first technical marketing company) who is an enthusiastic use of Notion, Google Docs, as well as Slack to build their tech stack. In addition, he mentioned:

     "A important factor to be successful in asynchronous communication, with employees and clients is the ability to give an understanding of. All parties involved should be aware of the objectives as well as recent changes or developments that are worth noting, as well as the ability to access important documents, such as strategy sheets or personas for marketing, as well as performance reports.

When communicating synchronously, errors are common and the time spent fixing mistakes or making changes that could easily have been done with the correct information available at the beginning. "

Regarding the practical aspect of running the meetings, the creator of ScrapingBee (a 100 percent remote business) Kevin Sahin says that in addition to having a quick, meetings in real-time, with memos created using Notion and also, they use Slack:

"Slack is asynchronous, and uses Slack status to tell whether a person could be reached via telephone call or not. If we send an email in Slack it isn't expected to receive a response in a matter of minutes. That's the point. The general rule is to choose the best tools for the job."

For an effective meeting Asynchronously, it is essential to make sure you're using devices that have been designed properly, and provide context and ensure that the problems that you're discussing are handled in a manner that makes it easy and fast to address.

9 suggestions to plan and execute the perfect remote meeting

No matter if your meeting via remote is synchronous or asynchronous however, there are a few general tips that can help make your meetings more effective. Some of these ideas are based on existing research however others stem from my personal experience. They will be discussed in a before the meeting, after, and during arrangement to those who prefer live-time meetings, however the suggestions can be applied to meetings that are async.

Prior to the event:

1. Make sure only people who are necessary are permitted to participate. If you overcrowd the online conference, whether that's a video conference or a Slack channel, the information may be lost in a hurry and the participants won't be able to fully participate.
2. Make a crystal-clear agenda. You can set agendas that are either in real time or async-based conferences by using the application you prefer. When I was in a bank where we developed Notion templates that used fill-in fields like issues we're facing and actions points.
   
3. Set meeting standards. Laura also mentioned one interesting method she prefers to employ is to create and distribute a "how I can collaborate with you" document ( like this one) in order to set standards and expectations regarding meetings and for all other communication.

At the time that the session began:

1. End and start within the timeframe. This point is particularly relevant for remote meetings. There's nothing any worse thing than arriving to a meeting late or not having enough time. The importance of time is paramount to people. It's the same for async meetings -If you don't respond within a reasonable amount of period of time, the information could go without notice or deadlines may get missed.
   
2. Make it brief. Similar to the earlier point, there's no any point in having an hour-long meeting in real-time where you're able to make every point you'd like with async or short sessions. For async, you should beware of writing large blocks of text or long gaps in video recordings.
   
3. It is important to make sure that everyone is heard and recognized. As I mentioned in the past, not all people have the ability to speak out during real-time conversations, but it is the case that async communications gives people the capacity to express their opinions. If you are a host or a manager, a host It's important to keep an eye on the involvement of your guests.

Following the session:

1. Receive feedback from attendees. If you're experimenting on different kinds of activities, it's essential to get feedback from the participants so you'll know what's most effective regarding the manner of communication and method. Different software may be more effective than other software to suit different types of people.
   
2. Provide a means for communication to follow-up. Generally speaking, it's better to set up an open channel for communication, or online platform where attendees are able to discuss ad-hoc information regarding the event or give updates about action points, and not interfere with the meeting.
   

You might ask in this moment, "those tips are all right and good, but What's the problem with software? ", this next article will answer that question.

Software to hold remote meeting

Naturally, one of the major considerations for having remote meetings of any kind is making sure you're equipped with the right technology at the beginning. When it comes to synchronous meetings, the most popular video conferencing software like Zoom, Microsoft Teams/Skype, and Google Meet do the trick quite well. However, the process is slightly different with meeting which are async.

A few of the most known Asynchronous Meeting Software (which also are primarily tools for managing projects) Some, which have been previously discussed include:

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

Finding the right tool for your virtual gathering

Most of the collaboration tools that I've mentioned above use text for communication and collaboration. These tools can be composed of text, image, or video. Additionally, as Laura stated previously, context and design is crucial.

For simple project updates

If you're looking for ways to get everyone up to date on the situation on your project is Apps like Trello, Asana, and Notion are great to do this. For instance, I (and my previous job) made use of Notion "boards" for providing an overview of the current statuses of projects as well as diving into feedback.

It is possible to use the same "board" type of organisation with all the applications previously discussed.

For continuous updates

If your team or project requires a simple way to reach however doesn't need regular meetings which are in person The majority of the apps listed are adequate, Basecamp in particular is great, however Slack is the best for this specific aspect.

In my previous workplace where every team was provided with the Slack channel of their choice in which they could have basically standing-ups that were synchronous, as well as companies-wide channels to conduct more general discussions. Naturally, I do not have access to the specific Slack workspace, but I do have some Slack workspaces I've used similarly:

for more complex or delicate information

Just as Laura mentioned, some kinds of information require a personal touch. There is no need to save information that gets not understood or hidden in the chaos of articles and tasks. To avoid this it is necessary to utilize video and have your back.

In addition it is possible to monitor those who have watched your video and collaborate on the comments section.

It's sometimes difficult to figure out exactly which software or method for your team, as each is different, and it's best to start with experimenting without apprehension to alter your approach if it isn't working for you.

The remote playbook: etiquette for conducting virtual meeting

The last topic discussed in this article concerns how to conduct meetings. Certain concepts might be familiar to people who've gone through the material we've already covered But it's important to outline exactly what common manners of meeting at an isolated location are similar to.

For synchronous meetings, we've been through numerous Zoom meetings and calls that required us to be aware of these general guidelines (and sometimes, we've broken them):

• It is important to ensure that you're not on mute while you're talking.
• Be in a quiet place in a place where people are able to focus on you (not the machine washing clothes that is in operation).
• Consider the options you'd like to add before deciding so that you don't spend time trying to determine the best solution during the your session.

However, the situation is somewhat different when it comes to meeting that are synchronous, and rules of engagement can differ based on the channel or method of communicating.

for channels that use text (e.g. Notion, Slack etc.)

• Be sure to include relevant information in the right channel/thread/page (or when you're making reference to something relevant, provide a hyperlink to the thread or page).
• Don't treat it like an email. This means that you should accept an email, or perhaps an assignment instead of leaving it in your inbox of emails (in Slack, you can mark a message with an emoticon! ).
• Remember that everyone has their own life. If you're using asynchronous communications can be easy to forget that there are people operating simultaneously with you. Be sure to ensure that everyone is active prior to contacting them with push notifications.

 Asynchronous video calls

• Be sure that the camera and the microphone are both good enough for people to be able to comprehend what you're saying.
• There should be a particular conclusion you'd like to share with other people Everyone doesn't want to sit through a video and then not be able to learn something new.

These are, of course, only general guidelines for etiquette. You may be in a position of having your specific rules of communication between each other, and the technologies to employ. If this is the case, follow these rules as you learn how to set the guidelines.

You can get off to a positive start with remote meetings

As with many relationships in the world Effective communication is most important factor in a successful business day. But it doesn't necessarily need to happen immediately.

Remote meetings that are synchronous can help in more productive discussions and can bring together all the team members and foster a culture of transparency (since async comms are naturally recorded). If you're considering moving to a more asynchronous process, you ought to consider experimenting with various methods to see which one works best to meet your requirements.

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