Asynchronous meetings: how to collaborate better, whenever
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Asynchronous meetings: how to collaborate better, whenever
Holly Aspinall
18 June 2024
7 min read
Holly Aspinall
18 June 2024
7 min read
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What are asynchronous meetings?
What are the benefits of asynchronous meetings?
Best tools for asynchronous meetings
How to conduct an asynchronous meeting
5 best practices to nail asynchronous meetings
Looking for a more flexible way to run meetings? Look no further! Learn more about the benefits of asynchronous meetings and how to get started today.
Meetings: you can’t get away from them. While they're not always necessary (sometimes an email will suffice), they’re often a useful way to share knowledge and keep projects on track.
Making meetings work for everyone in your organisation can be difficult, especially when you’re working remotely across the globe. But there’s a better way. Asynchronous meetings give your knowledge workers more freedom to contribute ideas when they want, which creates a happier, more productive space for work.
Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in.
Making meetings work for everyone in your organisation can be difficult, especially when you’re working remotely across the globe. But there’s a better way. Asynchronous meetings give your knowledge workers more freedom to contribute ideas when they want, which creates a happier, more productive space for work.
Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in.
What are asynchronous meetings?
Asynchronous meetings are meetings where participants don’t have to be present at the same time. Instead of scheduling a time for everyone to gather in the same time/place, employees contribute when they're able to within a specified timeframe (e.g. 24 hours). This flexible approach to meetings is great for teams working remotely across timezones, or to accommodate conflicting schedules.
What are the benefits of asynchronous meetings?
There are five main benefits of asynchronous meetings. They are:
1. Greater flexibility: Participants can contribute to meetings whenever is convenient for them, which accommodates different time zones and helps balance other work priorities. It’s a great way to encourage communication in remote teams.
2. Everyone gets heard: Asynchronous meetings give everyone a chance to contribute. Anyone who might normally struggle to speak up can voice their ideas, which leads to more diverse perspectives.
3. Attendees are more prepared: Participants have the chance to prepare and gather relevant information before they contribute their thoughts, which leads to clearer, more considered outcomes.
4. Documentation is easier to follow: All conversations and decisions are recorded within your chosen collaboration tool, which creates a valuable reference for participants and makes it easier to share outcomes with others.
5. Reduced meeting fatigue: Provides a welcome alternative to back-to-back meetings and lets team members engage with the meeting on their own terms - when they have time to process information.
1. Greater flexibility: Participants can contribute to meetings whenever is convenient for them, which accommodates different time zones and helps balance other work priorities. It’s a great way to encourage communication in remote teams.
2. Everyone gets heard: Asynchronous meetings give everyone a chance to contribute. Anyone who might normally struggle to speak up can voice their ideas, which leads to more diverse perspectives.
3. Attendees are more prepared: Participants have the chance to prepare and gather relevant information before they contribute their thoughts, which leads to clearer, more considered outcomes.
4. Documentation is easier to follow: All conversations and decisions are recorded within your chosen collaboration tool, which creates a valuable reference for participants and makes it easier to share outcomes with others.
5. Reduced meeting fatigue: Provides a welcome alternative to back-to-back meetings and lets team members engage with the meeting on their own terms - when they have time to process information.
Best tools for asynchronous meetings
There are three different types of tools that can be used for asynchronous meetings: collaborative knowledge management tools, collaborative document editing tools, and messaging apps.
- Collaborative knowledge management platforms like Confluence and Trello are great tools for quickly pulling together knowledge in a dedicated team space. This ensures that the information is in the right place and won’t be lost. Confluence even offers a Miro-like feature, Confluence whiteboards, to make note-taking and ideation a breeze.
- Collaborative document editing tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word Online let multiple users edit documents, leave comments, and track changes, making collaboration quick and smooth.
- Messaging apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams offer threaded discussions, file sharing, and integration with other productivity tools. These platforms are ideal for more informal asynchronous meetings and less complex topics.
How to conduct an asynchronous meeting
To get started with asynchronous meetings, you’ll need a collaboration platform (such as Confluence, Slack, or Google Docs) and a list of participants who will be joining.
There are four parts to asynchronous meetings. Follow along and check off your tasks as you go!
There are four parts to asynchronous meetings. Follow along and check off your tasks as you go!
Step 1: Meeting setup
As the organiser, you’re responsible for chairing the meeting and ensuring that participants know what to expect.
Create a meeting space in your collaboration tool of choice. If it’s Slack, you might want to set up a channel, whereas in Confluence, you can create a page for attendees to edit.
Don’t forget to add an announcement to your channel/page to let attendees know why this meeting is going ahead, what you want them to contribute, and the timeframe of the meeting.
Create a meeting space in your collaboration tool of choice. If it’s Slack, you might want to set up a channel, whereas in Confluence, you can create a page for attendees to edit.
Don’t forget to add an announcement to your channel/page to let attendees know why this meeting is going ahead, what you want them to contribute, and the timeframe of the meeting.
Tasks:
- Set up a meeting space in your chosen collaboration tool
- Add users to the space
- Announce the meeting and give important details
Step 2: Meeting initiation
When your meeting is about to begin, send out a notification or message to announce its start. This message should include the topic/agenda that needs to be discussed and reiterate the timeframe for contributors.
If the meeting is taking place on a knowledge management platform like Confluence, remember to give users access to edit the page.
If the meeting is taking place on a knowledge management platform like Confluence, remember to give users access to edit the page.
Tasks:
- Send a notification/message to commence the meeting
- Grant editing permissions (if applicable)
Step 3: Contribution period
This is the timeframe during which participants can contribute their input to the meeting. During this time, they can post comments, share documents, and provide feedback. As the organiser, it’s your responsibility to moderate the meeting and keep discussions relevant to the topic at hand.
Tasks:
- Monitor conversations to keep them on track
- Ensure that attendees are contributing (and prompt them if needed)
Step 4: Review and follow-up
Once the contribution period is over, you (or another designated facilitator) will review the contributions, compile the main points, and follow up with extra questions or actions.
This step ensures that all contributions matter and that decisions/next steps are clear. Share the main points with attendees and inform key stakeholders so they know what needs to happen next.
This step ensures that all contributions matter and that decisions/next steps are clear. Share the main points with attendees and inform key stakeholders so they know what needs to happen next.
Tasks:
- Summarise the key meeting points and clarify any points that need more information
- Identify the next actions to take
- Share your meeting notes with the relevant stakeholders
5 best practices to nail asynchronous meetings
Follow these best practices:
- Set a specific timeframe: Generally speaking, 24-48 hours is a good timeframe for an asynchronous meeting, but you can hold them for longer or shorter periods depending on the topic's complexity or your team's availability.
- Use a structured format: Provide a clear structure for contributions, such as prompts or discussion questions, to help attendants respond effectively and ensure that the meeting stays on track.
- Be responsive: Monitor the meeting platform regularly and respond promptly to ideas, questions, and comments. Don’t forget to acknowledge contributions to show that they’re valued.
- Respect time zones: When setting timelines and meeting hours, be mindful of potential differences in working hours and availability. This will ensure everyone has the chance to take part.
- Reflect and iterate: Periodically assess how your asynchronous meetings have gone and gather feedback from participants to understand how they can be improved. The feedback and lessons learned can be used to improve your meeting processes, so future asynchronous meetings run smoother than ever.
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Written by
Holly Aspinall
Content Marketing Manager
As an experienced Content Marketing Manager, Holly is dedicated to writing valuable, accessible guides that help users understand their tools better and get more out of their workday.
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