How to be more async in your work?

I found remote work coincidentally over ten years ago. It was an unusual experience, but still, it simulated office in many ways:

• All workers had to check in at 9 AM each workday
• I had to be available from 9-6 and allowed to have lunch for 1 hour
• I had to tack the time I was working as proof of work

Years later, I discovered async communication. A new way of working that allowed me to live the lifestyle I always wanted, still delivering on my responsibilities and, most importantly – doing what I love for a living.

Asynchronous working peaked its popularity among global, remote, and hybrid teams in 2020. To this day, more and more companies are embracing remote cultures and adopting more async communication strategies. When done correctly, it increases concentration and gets more done on your terms. Doing it incorrectly results in frustration and long hours for everyone involved.

What is async work?

I love how Preston Wickersham explains this simple concept in his article on Remote blog:

"Asynchronous work is a simple concept: Do as much as you can with what you have, document everything, transfer ownership of the project to the next person, then start working on something else."

In-person work is heavily dependent on real-time communication, but replicating that culture in a virtual setting presented a number of challenges, including Zoom fatigue, meeting overload, and ongoing disruptions that made getting work done even more difficult.

Although asynchronous work can feel intimidating to people who have always worked in-office or communicated synchronously, it offers numerous benefits. The top benefit is that asynchronous work truly allows people to take advantage of remote work.

How to be more async in your work?

Over the years, I learned a few principles that help me be more async and get more things done.