As remote work continues to shape the future of how teams collaborate, more companies are turning to asynchronous (async) work to boost productivity and enhance flexibility. If you're considering making the switch, you’re not alone—many teams have already seen the benefits of moving away from constant meetings and real-time responses. In this article, we will walk you through practical steps to help your team transition to async work smoothly so you can focus on what truly matters: delivering great results together.
You already know what async work is. It is a type of collaboration where team members don’t have to be online or work at the same time to complete tasks. Instead, communication and contributions happen over time with the help of tools and processes that keep work moving smoothly.
While the concept of async work isn’t new—think email, which has been asynchronous for decades—the rise of async work as a new way of working is somewhat recent. It gained traction post-COVID when more companies embraced remote work and had more distributed teams, which gave rise to the need to manage global teams across multiple time zones without the inefficiencies of constant meetings.
But the biggest driver of async work is an empowered workforce. More and more of your workers want flexibility, and this flexibility in an era of remote work means avoiding meeting fatigue and setting out time to do deep work while, at the same time, being able to collaborate with colleagues in different places.
If you want to transition your team to async work, this is the perfect article for you. We discuss how to do so, the tools that make this possible, and practical ways to foster collaboration in an async workspace.
Async work isn’t just a trend. It’s an approach to work that offers tangible benefits for teams, especially those operating remotely or across time zones. Here are some of the benefits of async work from others who have run profitable businesses and have been practicing async work for over 5 years.
1. According to Amir Salihefendic, CEO of Doist, the benefit of async work is the ability to hire from anywhere in the world and build a diverse, high-performing team by making asynchronous communication the default. This removes the constraints of synchronized schedules, making room for deeper work, increased flexibility, and better work-life integration
Doist has been remote first since inception. It is profitable, with over $100million in revenue.
2. Another benefit of remote work is that communication is thoughtful. People have more time to comment after mindful processing than in real-time. Sahil Lavingia, CEO of Gumroad, shared this on Twitter.
Gumroad has $22m in revenue and $10 in profit. Now that you’ve read about the benefits of sync work from successful businesses, here’s how to transition your team to one.
In Matt Mullenweg’s article about Distributed work’s five levels of autonomy, he said something interesting: “Any company that can enable their people to be fully effective in a distributed fashion can and should do it far beyond after this current crisis has passed.” It’s a moral imperative. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy or that the chaotic and stressful first taste some workplaces are getting right now is one that inspires them to keep trying.”
Though he referred to remote work and distributed teams, this very well applies to async work. Transitioning your team from synchronous to asynchronous has enormous benefits, but it’s not easy. If you’re determined to make this work for your team, this section will help you. It’s filled with practical advice from teams practicing async work.
It's great to hear you're considering a transition to async work. As you know, we've been fully remote since inception, and it's been a fantastic journey. Here are a few tips to help you and your team make a smooth transition:
1. Start Small, Scale Gradually: Jumping headfirst into async work can overwhelm any team. Instead, start with small, manageable steps. Buffer is one team that is doing this well.
According to a series of LinkedIn posts from their employees, they experimented with async work in the last quarter of 2024. According to this post from Sam Heaton, their director of growth marketing, they canceled recurring meetings in Q4 to replace them as the primary collaboration tool for async discussions.
You may not need to take this leap for a start. You can instead pilot a project. Begin with a small, self-contained project to test the waters. This will allow you to identify potential challenges and refine your processes. For example, your software team can decide to test the waters with a sprint or a low-stakes feature update to test async workflows. Buffer did something similar when testing out their 4-day work week. They started with a one-month trial, then rolled out a 6-month pilot, and now, they are over 4 years in!
Next, define objectives and assign tasks using a platform like Jira. Instead of holding daily standups, allow team members to communicate through comments and shared documents. You’ll identify bottlenecks like unclear task handoffs or response delays. When you do, be prepared to adjust your approach as you learn more about what works best for your team.
Remember to always review feedback from your pilot project. For example, if team members struggle with delayed responses, refine communication expectations, such as "All queries on Task X must be addressed within 12 hours."
2. Invest in Communication Tools: Async thrives on the right tools. These platforms are the backbone of your communication and collaboration. For example, you can use Slack for structured, asynchronous conversations on specific channels, Rally for async collaboration around your Jira tickets, or Notion or Confluence for documentation and project outlines.
In addition to these tools, establish clear communication guidelines. For example, define when and how tools should be used. Your team might use Slack for quick updates, Rally for discussing items and collaborating on Jira tickets for a specified time, Jira for project management, and Notion for documentation.
Agree on acceptable response times based on task urgency. For example, for critical issues, respond within 2 hours, and for routine updates, reply within 24 hours.
3. Foster a Culture of Trust and Autonomy: Async work requires a shift from micromanagement to empowering team members. Allow your team members to structure their day around peak productivity times. For instance, a designer might prefer mornings for focused design work and afternoons for responding to comments on Figma. You have to make space for this.
Please note that async work doesn't mean a disconnected team. Schedule regular check-ins to discuss concerns, celebrate wins, and align on goals. For instance, when Buffer was experimenting with async work, they held 1:1s monthly to discuss performance, dreams, goals, and so on.
Async work requires a shift from micromanagement to empowering team members. Allow your team members to structure their day around peak productivity times. For instance, a designer might prefer mornings for focused design work and afternoons for responding to comments on Figma. You have to make space for this.
Please note that async work doesn't mean a disconnected team. Schedule regular check-ins to discuss concerns, celebrate wins, and align on goals. For instance, when Buffer was experimenting with async work, they held 1:1s monthly to discuss performance, dreams, goals, and so on.
4. Prioritize Documentation: Async work depends on accessible, detailed information to reduce reliance on real-time conversations. A strong documentation culture means that everyone can see the reasoning behind choices without needing to attend a meeting or ask follow-up questions, and team members spend less time clarifying points and more time on deep, focused work. It also improves alignment as written processes and outcomes provide clarity and eliminate ambiguity.
To do this right:
Example elements to include in a memo: purpose, context, decision, and next steps.
5. Encourage Overcommunication: In an asynchronous work environment, the mantra "When in doubt, share more" holds true. Overcommunication doesn’t mean bombarding your team with unnecessary information; it’s about proactively sharing the right details to ensure alignment and prevent confusion. This is something Rally helps your team excel at.
A. Be Transparent: In async work, transparency builds trust and minimizes the risk of miscommunication. Without regular face-to-face interactions, your team members may feel left out or unaware of key developments. To ensure this doesn't happen, make openness part of your culture.
For example,a project lead working with a remote engineering team could maintain a "Project Pulse" document, updated every Friday. It might include sections like “This Week’s Wins,” “Current Blockers,” and “Next Steps” so everyone stays on the same page without needing a meeting.
B. Encourage Thoughtful Responses: One of the biggest advantages of async work is the ability to reflect before responding. Use this to replace hurried discussions with deeper conversations. Some of the ways to achieve these are:
Conclusion
Transitioning to async work may take time, but the benefits—enhanced productivity, improved flexibility, and a more inclusive team culture—are well worth the effort. By taking it step-by-step, setting clear expectations, and embracing the freedom to work on your terms, you'll create a stronger, more efficient team.
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