Hybrid work is here to stay, and leaders are grappling with how to adapt.  A quick trip to Google will give you more advice than you know what to do with, so instead of overwhelming you with a to-do list, you don’t have time to do, I want to talk about integrating Asynchronous Communication into your company’s communication strategy.

Now, right about now, you’re probably thinking “asynchronous who?”  It’s just a fancy way of saying communication that doesn’t happen in real-time.  Communication that because of a dispersed workforce, different time zones, or conflicting schedules can’t happen in real-time. 

We’re all familiar with synchronous communication. We’ve been doing real time conversations for most of our working lives – brainstorming sessions, face-to-face meetings, and hallway chats.  What’s relatively new is trying to stay productive and connected when everyone is scattered everywhere. 

Enter…asynchronous communication.

Believe it or not, this type of communication can oftentimes allow for better, more productive conversations because it gives time to consider a more thoughtful approach.  Hallway conversations are great, but when we blurt out the first answer that comes to mind, it might not be our best answer.  With asynchronous communication, you have time to respond and give your answer more thought.

There are many tools available that can become part of your communication system and help employees stay connected, informed and productive. 

• Google Drive allows you to work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more – all in separate times and places.
• Slack takes conversations that were traditionally done through email and moves them to a messaging service. You can build out different channels for different teams or topics and reply to messages on your own schedule.
• Loom provides seamless screen recording that makes it easier to explain your points and give direction to others who aren’t with you in person. 
• Tettra is a place where you can centralize your team’s resources and effectively search for and find the content you’re looking for.
• Slab is a knowledge hub where you can find information about your company, teams, and projects. You can search for answers across your company’s tools and integrations and edit files in real-time with other users. 
• Asana is a project management tool where you can build out projects and deadlines that are assigned to teammates to work on. Teammates can communicate at their own pace on project boards to get their work done most effectively.
• Monday.com is a virtual work hub provides visibility into all areas of a project and it integrates with other tools your team uses on a daily basis. Plus, it gives you the ability to automate routine processes so teams can focus on more challenging work. 
• Twist is a remote team communication app that combines email and chat into one platform. It offers a calmer, more organized, more efficient communication platform that allows employees to disconnect to do deep work and tune in when they have the time.

Adapting to the workforce changes brought on by the pandemic, is not easy. In fact, it can be exhausting.  One way to gain control of what sometimes feels like an out-of-control situation is to build a communication strategy that helps keep employees engaged, work flowing, and people connected. These tools can ensure you’re considering the remote worker as you build your plan.