Asynchronous Communication

Overview

In today’s global software industry, teams are often spread across various time zones and locations. According to Buffer's 2023 State of Remote Work report, 98% of remote workers wish to continue working remotely, at least part-time, for the duration of their careers.

However, this shift brings significant challenges in communication:

• 46% of remote workers experience difficulties in collaboration and communication.
• Teams typically spend an average of 3.2 hours each day in meetings, many of which could be addressed asynchronously.
• The back-and-forth nature of communications can take three to four times longer because of differences in time zones.

Common Pain Points:

• Delayed responses leading to blocked progress
• Misunderstandings arise from insufficient context
• Meeting fatigue from trying to sync schedules
• Information getting lost in chat threads

Fundamentals: Building the Foundation

1. Comprehensive Onboarding

New team members must receive structured onboarding that includes:

• Documentation of product workflows
• Access to essential tools and repositories
• Guidelines for team communication
• Records of project architecture and decision-making

Example: At Spotify, new engineers get a "Tech Onboarding Playlist." This playlist includes a collection of documents, videos, and hands-on exercises. They can complete the activities on their own schedule.

2. Ubiquitous Language

Teams must establish the following components:

• A shared terminology glossary
• Standard operating procedures
• Clear decision-making frameworks
• Comprehensive documentation standards

Example Amazon's practice of creating six-page narratives before meetings ensures that everyone speaks the same language and understands the context prior to discussions.

3. User's Point of View

Team members should comprehend user journey maps and feature specifications.

The CLEAR Framework

This framework aim to have short and efficient communications with the team member among team and across the team. CLEAR isn't clear literally

Clarity in Messaging

• Use structured formats for different types of communication
• Include context, deadline, and expected outcomes
• Break complex issues into digestible points

Example Format:

Context: Payment processing feature
Issue: Integration with Stripe API failing
Action needed: Code review of PR #123
Deadline: EOD Thursday PST

Leverage the Right Tools

• Urgent matters: Slack/Teams with @mentions
• Fire fighting: Cellphones
• Task management: JIRA/Pivotal for tracking
• Documentation: Confluence/Notion for knowledge base
• Code-related: GitHub/GitLab discussions
• Design feedback: Figma comments

Establish Response Times

• Critical issues: 2-4 hours
• Regular tasks: 24 hours
• Non-urgent matters: 48 hours Could set up the reminder with the Slack.

Accountability

• Assign clear owners for decisions
• Use RACI matrix for projects
• Document decisions and rationale
• Regular async status updates

Recap and Documentation

• Summary of decisions in accessible location
• Updated documentation reflecting changes
• Link related discussions and resources
• Regular cleanup of outdated information

Follow the Sun Model

Implementing a 24/7 development cycle across global teams:

Time Zone Management

• Overlap windows for synchronous meetings
• Handoff documents between shifts
• Clear escalation procedures

Handover Protocol

1. Status update document
2. Outstanding issues list
3. Completed tasks summary
4. Next actions required

Example: A team in San Francisco documents their progress in Notion before EOD, which their colleagues in Singapore review at their start of day.

Best Practices

1. Write for Future Reference

   • Include context in every communication
   • Use clear subject lines
   • Link to relevant documents

2. Respect Time Zones

   • Use tools like World Time Buddy in emails
   • Schedule messages for recipient's working hours
   • Maintain an updated team availability calendar

3. Regular Clean-up

   • Archive resolved discussions
   • Update documentation
   • Remove outdated information

Conclusion

Effective asynchronous communication is not just about tools and processes—it's about creating a culture of clear, considerate, and documented interactions. By following the CLEAR framework and establishing strong fundamentals, teams can maintain productivity and clarity across time zones and locations.

Remember:

• Over-communicate context
• Choose the right medium for the message
• Document decisions and discussions
• Respect time zones and response times
• Regularly update and clean up documentation

The future of work is increasingly asynchronous, and mastering these principles will be crucial for success in the modern software industry.

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References:

• Collab Camp 2024
• Buffer's 2023 State of Remote Work
• Gitlab's Remote Work Report
• State of Agile 2023