How to Conduct a Super Productive Asynchronous Meeting

According to <a href="https://doodle.com/en/resources/research-and-reports/state-of-meeting-report-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Doodle</a>, the number of virtual team meetings has increased by 613%, while that of one-on-one sessions has increased by 1230%. This proves that employees and project managers spend most of their time in such group meetings. Therefore, the meeting system must evolve from the time-consuming synchronous mode to the more successful asynchronous mode, allowing team members to work at their own pace with minor interruptions. This will help multiply employee productivity and efficiency. We'll learn more about asynchronous meetings and their benefits in this article, as well as how to conduct ideal meetings of this kind.What are asynchronous meetings?<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/ZB2FawJQBLR9KzdzUR/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47podepo6fik9jrq7c4q1mhcrcmnh46xq4t6q843w3&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" alt="Shouting Lets Talk GIF by Larian Studios"/></figure>Asynchronous meetings refer to topic-specific team meet-ups that aren't held in real-time. Instead, they are attended by employees via various asynchronous meeting techniques. In simplest terms, it is a style of communication that does not rely on a prompt response. The message is sent to the intended employee without expecting an immediate response. Asynchronous communication is designed to help your team function more efficiently and to offer individuals the freedom to do their job to the best of their abilities.The following are some of the most commonly used asynchronous modes of communication in organisations today:1️⃣ Email: An employee can send an email at any moment without expecting a response from the recipient right away. So, the email message is sent with the expectation that the other employee would respond when they are free after completing their work.2️⃣ Messaging and team platforms: Employees can exchange updates on tasks and work requests as needed using a messaging or team management tool. Team members are not required to respond to work notifications as soon as they are received; instead, they can do so when the job is completed.Benefits of asynchronous meetingsThe benefits of asynchronous meetings are as follows:<ul><li>In asynchronous team meet ups, no one has to come on a video call and share their job updates. It is an excellent alternative for teams that want to free up some time in their calendars and use it for work. It is also a terrific approach to keep everyone up-to-date on what's going on in the company while also allowing employees to devote their most productive time of the day to work.</li><li>Many employees are engaged in tasks that require intense concentration for an extended amount of time, such as strategic planning, graphic designing, writing, market research, and other intellectually demanding work. Frequent meetings divert attention away from the task, resulting in poor performance. Asynchronousmeetings ensure that the employee receives all work updates and queries, and replies once the task is completed.</li><li>There are numerous advantages to employing the best talents from all over the world. However, in this case, everyone works in different time zones, making it difficult to conduct a real-time meeting. This is where asynchronous meetings come in handy, allowing businesses to get the most out of all employees while receiving regular work updates.</li></ul>How to conduct a productive asynchronous meeting?Even though an asynchronous meeting does not take place in real-time, its criteria are similar to those of synchronous sessions. Like the latter, asynchronous ones also include the following conditions:? Selected participants? Team meeting agenda? Meeting goal? Notes to summarise the meetingThe following is the ultimate guide to conducting a productive asynchronous meeting:Step 1: Communicate the benefits of asynchronous meetings to teammatesIt's critical to explain to your team the differences between synchronous and asynchronous meetings and why you, as a leader or manager, have chosen to embrace this new meeting method. Your team members will be considerably more enthusiastic about adopting this new communication method if they understand that the modifications to present processes will provide them with more flexibility and time to do their duties. Demonstrate how this meeting style will boost workplace productivity and facilitate remote working. Step 2: Establish a timeframe for reviewing the meeting agendaEven if asynchronous meetings aren't held in real-time, it's crucial to communicate with the team when the meeting agenda is filled up. This allows everyone on the team to be informed about each other's priorities and work updates. Having a clear and specific agenda helps in the easy collection of work updates. Also, to conduct an effective asynchronous meeting, always create a deadline.Step 3: Use the correct asynchronous communication methodVarious asynchronous meeting methods can be used to meet different needs. For example, Slack can be used to ask questions that can be answered whenever the person is available. Email is a more formal type of asynchronous communication that can help you receive work updates regularly and keep track of them.Step 4: Keep track of work updates and decisionsIn asynchronous team meetings, keeping track of the discussion via taking notes is just as crucial as it is for synchronous ones. This enables examination of work updates as well as the agendas that have been set for upcoming meetings. Using note apps allows each team member to add their updates and work priorities, which, in turn, aids in the formation of the upcoming meeting agendas.Step 5: FeedbackThis is the final step in conducting an effective and productive asynchronous team meeting, as it contributes to an employee's overall productivity. If the person is not performing as expected, follow-up feedback should be provided to address the reasons for reduced productivity. For example, if an employee is concerned about their well-being, corporate and health benefits through <a href="https://www.plumhq.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plum Insurance</a> could be provided to address the issue, resulting in enhanced productivity.ConclusionAccording to a study conducted by <a href="https://buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Buffer</a>, 20% of remote and hybrid employees are concerned about participating in real-time synchronous meetings. Conducting asynchronous meetings to assist employees in focusing on their work and enhancing productivity is a simple solution.It is time to shift from inefficient and time-consuming real-time team meetings and move towards asynchronous ones, where everyone can contribute to the best of their abilities in the most comfortable way possible.Give us a shout-out on <a href="https://twitter.com/getplumhq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>.Check out Plum <a href="https://www.plumhq.com/group-medical-health-insurance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.Images: <a href="https://giphy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIPHY</a>

Asynchronous Team Meeting - The Ultimate Guide