- AllThingsRemote
- Posts
- async isn't the problem; how you're doing it is
async isn't the problem; how you're doing it is
plus: the 5 rules that separate teams who make async work from teams still drowning in threads.
In partnership with
👋 Welcome back to All Things Remote: your weekly shortcut to building lean, efficient remote teams without the chaos.
Everyone loves the idea of async work.
It’s fewer meetings, more flexibility and really good deep work time (dreamy right?!)
But here's what actually happens when most teams "go async":
Messages get longer and vaguer.
Decisions take three days instead of three minutes.
People check Slack compulsively because they're worried they'll miss something important (i’ve been there!)
And your team ends up more stressed, worrying, making sure they don’t miss something, which in reality, is not the goal of async!
The problem isn't async itself; it’s that most teams are doing synchronous work badly, then calling it async.
In today’s send:
✅ Why most async attempts create more work, not less
✅ The 5 non-negotiable rules that make async actually work
✅ A simple framework to decide what needs sync vs. async
But first, a quick question:
How does your team handle async communication? |
Before we dive in, here’s a newsletter for your HR team:
The best HR advice comes from people who’ve been in the trenches.
That’s what this newsletter delivers.
I Hate it Here is your insider’s guide to surviving and thriving in HR, from someone who’s been there. It’s not about theory or buzzwords — it’s about practical, real-world advice for navigating everything from tricky managers to messy policies.
Every newsletter is written by Hebba Youssef — a Chief People Officer who’s seen it all and is here to share what actually works (and what doesn’t). We’re talking real talk, real strategies, and real support — all with a side of humor to keep you sane.
Because HR shouldn’t feel like a thankless job. And you shouldn’t feel alone in it.
Async doesn't work without structure
Here's what I see in most remote teams trying async:
Someone posts a vague question in Slack.
Three people respond asking for clarification.
Two more add their thoughts.
Twenty-four hours later, nothing's been decided.
So someone schedules a "quick sync" to sort it out.
This isn't async failing.
This is people using async tools with synchronous habits.
Real async needs structure and clear rules.