The Async-First Mindset
Every meeting has a cost:
- •Scheduling friction
- •Context switching
- •Preparation and follow-up
- •Time zone coordination
Before scheduling, ask: "Could this be async?"
When Async Works Better
- •Information sharing (updates, announcements)
- •Feedback that's not time-sensitive
- •Documentation and decisions
- •Brainstorming initial ideas
- •Status updates
When You Actually Need a Meeting
- •Complex discussions with back-and-forth
- •Sensitive conversations (feedback, conflicts)
- •Real-time collaboration (working sessions)
- •Building relationships (1:1s, team bonding)
- •Urgent decisions
10 Meeting Alternatives
1. Loom Videos
Record a video explaining something. Viewers watch at 1.5x speed, pause to take notes, and respond async.
Use for: Demos, project updates, training
2. Slack Threads
Start a discussion thread with a clear question. People respond when available.
Use for: Quick decisions, feedback, questions
3. Notion/Docs
Write your thinking in a shared document. Others comment and contribute.
Use for: Proposals, planning, documentation
4. Async Standups
Daily written updates instead of daily standup meetings.
Use for: Team status updates
5. Email (Yes, Really)
For formal communications or when you need a clear record.
Use for: External stakeholders, important announcements
6. Collaborative Documents
Google Docs, Figma, Miro—work together without being in the same meeting.
Use for: Design reviews, document editing, brainstorms
7. Voice Memos
Quick audio messages when typing is too slow but video is overkill.
Use for: Nuanced feedback, explaining complex ideas
8. Polls and Surveys
Collect input from many people efficiently.
Use for: Scheduling, decisions, gathering preferences
9. Project Management Tools
Asana, Linear, Jira—updates happen in the tool, not in meetings.
Use for: Project status, task coordination
10. FAQ Documents
Answer common questions once, share the link.
Use for: Onboarding, repeated questions
Making Async Work
Write Clearly
Async requires better writing:
- •Clear subject lines
- •TL;DR summaries
- •Specific questions
- •Deadlines for responses
Set Response Expectations
"Please review by EOD Tuesday" is better than "Let me know your thoughts."
Over-Communicate Context
Without body language, you need more words.
Use the Right Tool
Match the message to the medium.
Converting Existing Meetings
For each recurring meeting, ask:
- •What's the purpose?
- •Could async achieve the same goal?
- •What would we lose going async?
- •Is that loss worth the meeting cost?
Start by converting one meeting to async. See how it goes.
