Finding Nirvana Through Asynchrony

When the pandemic hit, and suddenly people were forced to work from home, there was chaos. As a freelancer who works remotely full time, I have many people asking me how you do it? How do you stay productive and not go crazy? I shared a few tips on coping based on my experience but did not have a good explanation of why there was chaos in the first place. Is it a personal thing? Are some people just not good at working remotely?

Distributed Work's Five Levels of Autonomy MATT MULLENWEG

Reading Matt Mullenweg's Distributed Works Fivel Levels of Autonomy was an aha moment. Successfully distributed teams rely on one key concept:  asynchrony. Companies that reach level four and operate in a genuinely asynchronous manner allow people to work in a mode and context optimized for their productivity and prioritize a culture of trust and autonomy. They experience increased employee retention and satisfaction and can leverage the global talent pool effectively.

Moving toward asynchronous operation requires a shift in focus from in-person or synchronous meetings to written communication and asynchronous feedback. This approach does not mean eliminating phone calls, but rather prioritizing asynchronous conversations over scheduled meetings. Decision making via written discussions may be a slower process, but the outcomes are intentional and more inclusive. Assume positive intent if there are questions about tone and bring conversations to a close by summarizing key results and decisions.
  
KeyTools for an Asynchronous Environment

• A video conferencing solution such as Zoom
• An integrated chat solution such as Slack or Teams
• A shift from Email to a knowledge base such as Confluence, Basecamp, or P2.

Check out the full discussion on the podcast Making Sense with Sam Harris #194 - The New Future Of Work (with Matt Mullenweg) or via YouTube.

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