Technology has grown in our modern world, and communication between people has become much simpler and can take place at any time and any place.
The IT revolution has greatly increased the opportunities for remote work (1) and, although not all companies have implemented it, the vast majority have adopted this new approach. They use different tools to ease daily work and team collaboration, considering that not all of us have the same schedules and priorities. In this article, we will discuss the methods of team communication and look at the main asynchronous communication examples.
Summary
- It is ideal for deep work without interruptions.
- Efficient team collaboration is enabled for everyone.
- Provides a record and greater control of all projects.
The best asynchronous communication methods: The definitive list
Working from home is nowadays seen as a process that involves radical changes in ways of working (2). And that is why it is essential to find the methods that best suit your work team.
There are lots of tools that promote asynchronous communication and encourage remote working. This, in turn, helps collaboration and more efficient completion of tasks.
Check out the latest Remote Work Statistics
5. Frequently asked questions guide
Surely, at some point, you have encountered a work situation without knowing how to deal with it or simply do not remember how to solve a problem. That’s why a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide can be of great help to improve your remote work.
People prefer to be self-sufficient, and it will always be better not to disturb others from their work just to clear up that little doubt you have. For this reason, we recommend you provide an FAQ guide for your employees so that they can check it whenever they need it. Here is a list of tips on how to create your FAQ guide:
- Structure the content, avoid writing very open-ended or generic questions.
- Classify by topics, this allows employees to search more efficiently.
- Order the questions by frequency, it is important to identify the most repeated questions and place them at the beginning.
- Keep the information updated, you must remember that it is not static content and does not always have the same concerns.
- Use keywords, this, as well as the subject classification, will make it easier for employees to search
- Design it simply, it should be a practical and visually clean tool. Easy to read, quick and easy to find.
4. Forums
We have all heard about forums, and they are platforms for asynchronous and group communication. In that space, people communicate with each other for sharing and exchanging opinions with others with similar interests (3).
It is a really useful distance working tool because it allows a team working on the same task to share their ideas and opinions and, at the same time, receive feedback and comments. This way, you can efficiently discuss ways to approach and advance your work without anyone being left out.
It is worth mentioning that, while it is an effective method, it can have some disadvantages that should be considered before creating the forum.
Advantages
- The information shared in the forum is recorded, so that it can be accessed at any time.
- Encourages communication and dialogue among participants.
- There is no limit to the number of forums that can be created.
- Reinforce personal communication.
Disadvantages
- If a forum is not well organized, it can be confusing and hinder members’ research and participation.
- Whoever is in charge cannot ensure that messages posted are read by forum participants.
- Not everyone has the ability to express their ideas in writing.
3. Informative or instructional videos
A really dynamic audiovisual tool is an informative or instructional video, which conveys specific knowledge for training or explaining something clearly to others. They are specially designed to ease understanding and retention of content (4).
Videos are much more engaging or entertaining than any informational text.
As a teaching resource, video is widely popular because of its low cost and user-friendly features. In addition, they give us more flexibility, as they allow us to avoid taking up time in long meetings and thus have more time to spend on our work.
See the best Screen Recording Software
You don’t need to be a professional to make good videos. In fact, you don’t need to spend a lot of time on a big production, you can simply record your screen and put a voice-over.
2. Messaging tools
Probably the most attractive element with the most didactic potential of management systems is their communication tools (5). Good team communication is essential because of its collaborative participation.
There are several tools and/or messaging platforms that are very useful for remote work. Among those that stand out the most, we would like to mention Slack and email, each program with its own characteristics and differences.
| Slack | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exclusive/Interoperable | Exclusive chat tool for communicating between Slack users | Email is interoperable, meaning that two people using two different email providers can email each other |
| Communication | Your communication can be both asynchronous and synchronous | Your communication is asynchronous only |
| Participants | Restricts the number of participants | Is suitable for larger conversations |
| Security | Can work securely | Collaboration via email increases the risk of spam and hacking attacks |
See the best Team Communication Software
1. Task management tools
Teamwork and cooperative work bring many benefits when it comes to remote work, but for this, good organization and planning are essential. That is why having tools to manage and monitor teamwork is very useful (6).
As Karl Marx said, to work collaboratively, it is necessary for a group of people to perform tasks together in a planned way, in the same process or in different but always connected processes (7). This is what facilitates task or project management tools.
Currently, thanks to new technologies, there are several work management platforms where you can share documents, edit them together, schedule appointments, organize calendars, hold videoconferences, communicate via internal chat, etc.
See the best Task Management Software
The best work management platforms: our recommendations.
NOYSI
NOYSI
Noysi is a practically recent tool, its strong point is internal communication. It is known as “the Whatsapp of companies” and this is because its founders have the purpose of changing the current communication between them.
In addition, it has its own task manager so that tasks can be created and assigned in a simple way. It has its own cloud storage that is unlimited, encrypted and secure; also, it unifies the necessary tools to increase efficiency in companies.
TRELLO
TRELLO
As advertised on its website, Trello is a visual tool that allows teams to manage any type of project and workflow, as well as monitor tasks. On the platform, you can add customizable boards with the tasks to be performed, add files, checklists, or even automations.
It is very easy to use and intuitive, and its drag-and-drop functionality makes it even more dynamic. It is worth mentioning that if you don’t know how to create or customize your templates, Trello has a selection of easy-to-copy templates made by industry leaders and the Trello community.
Read more about Trello
DROPBOX
Dropbox
Talking about this tool, we should mention that it is an extremely popular cloud storage service for offering multiple possibilities to host your files. File sharing with Dropbox is quick and easy, you only need to share a link to send any type of content to anyone you want, even if the person does not have an account on the platform.
It allows teams to share their work and collaborate easily. It also has an integrated system that allows you to connect your Dropbox account to other applications such as Trello, Zapier and Salesforce, or you can synchronize it with your Gmail, Outlook or Slack account.
ASANA
ASANA
Asana is a tool for managing team projects and individual tasks. Like Trello, it uses dashboards, so you can visualize where your work stands, identify what the next steps are, and get started on your tasks to keep you on track.
Its very useful feature is the Portfolios, where you can visualize the progress of all your projects in real-time. This way, you can proactively address any issues that arise and report updates to the people involved.
CANVA
CANVA
If you need to make a presentation as a whole, Canva is a perfect tool. Its operation is conveniently simple, you can use numerous templates or design your own with the size you need.
The website allows you to upload your own multimedia files for your design or search for some from the platform. It is really useful for collaborative work, as you can share the template through a link and allow joint editing.
FAQ.
What is asynchronous communication?
It is any type of communication that does not require an immediate response. It refers to an intermittent exchange rather than a constant flow.
What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous communication?
The only notable difference between asynchronous communication and synchronous communication is the timing. For synchronous communication, two or more people must be connected at the same time, they must be communicating simultaneously. An example of this can be a face-to-face conversation or a virtual meeting (Check out the latest Virtual Meeting Statistics).
Asynchronous communication takes place through the different technological devices that facilitate information (8), when one sends a message, one does not expect an immediate reply. In fact, the response will be suspended until the other person reads the message or has time to reply to it, as when we send an e-mail.
Is asynchronous communication a higher quality communication?
Asynchronous communication has become fundamental for remote work. This is because it favors deep work and decreases distractions or interruptions.
In addition, it allows you to keep track of everything for greater control of the projects you are working on. Therefore, as long as there is good organization, asynchronous communication will be more favorable when it comes to working.
Conclusion
In conclusion, good team communication is essential to complete projects quickly and efficiently. Nowadays, remote work has opened the doors to asynchronous communication, thus benefiting teamwork and all its aspects.
You should bear in mind that asynchronous communication needs to be well organized and planned in order to maximize the quality of work. This requires the use of methods that are best suited for your team.
References
1. Alemán Páez, Francisco Antonio. “El trabajo a distancia en la post-pandemia.” Social Jurisdiction (2022).
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2. Madero Gómez, Sergio, Carolina Elena Luengo Martínez, and Liliana Sara Alvarado de Marsano. “Effects of stress and occupational well-being with telecommuting in the COVID-19 setting: Mexico, Peru, and Chile.” (2021).
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3. Martín de la Hoz, Pablo. “The forum as a communication and interaction system.” Revista complutense de educación (2007).
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4. Ramos, Luis Bravo. “What is educational video?” Communicate 6 (1996).
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5. Seoane Pardo, Antonio M. “e-Learning platforms and tools: LMS/CMS, authoring and synchronous/asynchronous communication tools.” (2008).
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6. Delgado, Adelaida, Antoni Lluís Mesquida, and Antonia Mas. “Use of Trello to track learning in work teams.” Jornadas de Enseñanza Universitaria de la Informática (20es: 2014: Oviedo) (2014).
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7. Neil, Carlos, et al. “Multiplatform Collaborative Tools in Software Engineering Education.” XVIII Workshop of Researchers in Computer Science (WICC 2016, Entre Rios, Argentina). 2016.
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8. Sarmiento Guede, José Ramón. “La comunicación de’boca en boca’vs.’boca en boca electrónica’: Análisis de sus principales diferencias.” Ámbitos. International journal of communication, 30, 1-17. (2015).
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