Real hybrid work is not only balancing who does what work where (should we be in the office three days a week?). For a truly hybrid team, we factor in time. This means we change the question to: What work needs to be done with everyone at the same time, and what can be done when it makes sense?
Hybrid work is a great way to overcome time zones on scattered teams and reduce the need for everyone to gather at the same time to do work that could be done better when people are at their physical and mental best. For this to work, we need to figure out not just what work needs to be done when, but what tools will help you all achieve the best results.
As a refresher, synchronous means, “at the same time.” Tools that meet this criteria include real-time use of Teams/Slack, texting, live webcam and web meetings. It also includes (stick with me) telephone and meeting in-person in real time. Crazy, right?
Asynchronous is defined as “not existing or happening at the same time.” This means chat messages that don’t need to be immediately responded to, ongoing discussions on topics where people can contribute when it’s a good time for them or they’ve had time to think about their responses and emails (I can’t stress this enough- email is NOT a synchronous tool).
Use Synchronous Tools When:
- Real-time oral conversation will get the best results. Brainstorming, reaching consensus, answering questions are often achieved well when people actually talk to each other.
- There is confusion over a goal or you seem to have reached a dead end in trying to solve a problem. We all know how endless email or chat threads can be frustrating and eventually unproductive. Getting together physically or on a web meeting can cut through some of the frustration and help everyone focus on results.
- You need an answer to a question from a subject matter expert. No matter where you work there are times when you know someone has information you need. The more complicated the question, the more likely reaching the right answer will require back and forth, whether that’s oral conversation or a chat exchange.
- You want team members to interact with each other for team-building reasons. Human beings build relationships by real-time communication and working in rich ways that enhance verbal, vocal and visual understanding.
Use Asynchronous Tools When:
- Time isn’t the primary factor. Not everything requires your teammates to drop everything and respond. Questions that don’t need to be answered this second or require the responder to research, think or just be back at their desk can be handled asynchronously.
- You want to give people time to respond to enhance the quality of their thinking or give everyone a chance to respond. Real time brainstorming is great, but studies find that we often give more thoughtful and insightful feedback, and hear from everyone equally, when people don’t feel the pressure to respond immediately. Time to think and craft a thoughtful answer is often underrated.
- When you need an answer RIGHT NOW. This might feel like a contradiction with what we said earlier, but simple answers to simple questions can be answered with technology. AI and chatbots are going to play more and more of a role in helping people get information they need in a hurry and get back to work. If it’s noon in Singapore, you don’t want to be waiting until the folks in the New York office are at work to find that file you need.
As we contemplate the future of work, it will be important to consider not only where work gets done, and who does it, but when it happens. A real hybrid approach is thoughtful about these things and not simply trying to recreate the “everyone-in-the-office-at-the-same-time” experience.
For a FREE PDF booklet of 25 tips from the updated The Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership, check out KevinEikenberry.com/25tips.
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