What is Asynchronous Work?
It’s 2022: time to break our ties to the old way of working!
I’ve written a whole blog post about the benefits of asynchronous work, but in this post I’ll share some of the basics for the uninitiated. Welcome to Asynchronous Work 101!
Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Work
When you think of the traditional “9-to-5” office job, you’re thinking of synchronous work: a team that works together, usually in the same place, on the same problems at the same time.
The COVID pandemic broke that bubble of synchronous work as the norm: instead, we all invested in athleisure and started working from home. (The only good things to come out of 2020, tbh.)
As people embraced stretchy pants and #WFH life, productivity skyrocketed. However, most work-from-home jobs were still synchronous: you logged on at 9am and logged out at 5pm. Everyone was on the same timezone (usually) and worked together on Slack channels to share memes and do work, simultaneously.
However, as teams became more dispersed and remote work took hold, people began working from the beaches of Bali — or, in my case, the Italian countryside — and time zones stopped being barriers for high-performing talent.
Asynchronous work means you can work with anyone at any time. It’s also how most freelancers like myself work. I don’t have to be on your timezone to do great work for you!
In My Case, Asynchronous = No Zoom Meetings/Phone Calls
When I’m working asynchronously with a client, we forgo Zoom meetings/phone calls of any kind.
Instead, we can communicate using…
Email. Email is still one of the best ways to communicate, and a great way to send any information I need for a project. But if you’re not the type who likes to type 🙂 you can also take advantage of these other asynchronous tools:
Voice memos. Every iPhone has a voice memo feature where you can record and email voice notes to people. Voice memos are a quick and easy way to share stories, instructions, notes, or other information with me, your freelancer.
Screenshare videos (like Loom). Want to walk me through a document or share your screen? Loom videos are great and super easy to record. You can record with or without your face as well depending if you’re spending the day working in pajamas, and you can also be notified when I view your Loom video.
I also can chat over text message or join your team’s Slack, but I prefer the above methods when possible as Slack notifications can sometimes be buggy and text/whatsapp/telegram messages sometimes don’t come through if I’m traveling.
I’ve found that these methods of communication work best and allow me to stay deep in the weeds of writing your project.
Top 3 Benefits of Working Asynchronously for Your Project
Free up your schedule. Zoom meetings/phone calls interrupt the flow of your day. Instead of having to plan around a time for us to meet, you can just send me instructions or information whenever you’d like in whatever format. I also have more time to devote deep work to you and your project rather than spending that time on a meeting or call.
Work moves faster. Instead of you and I having to wait to have a meeting when both our schedules (and timezones!) align, you can send me voice memos when an idea strikes. I can send you updates or ask questions anytime during the process of us working together. Work moves faster when we’re not having to wait for a meeting to move forward. Instead, we can send each other updates in real-time, which allows me to work faster for you.
You can review meetings and what was said, anytime, anywhere. Asynchronous work has a clearer communication history: everything is documented on emails, screenshare videos using tools like Loom, or voice memos. It’s easy to set expectations and communicate clearly if everything is documented.
I’ve written full memoirs and whitepapers completely asynchronously, and the work can even turn out better while working this way.
Ready to take advantage of asynchronous work with a freelance writer or as one?
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