We discussed the topic of asynchronous communication and meeting culture for a Prezi campaign in a short video in English. You will find the most important content in this blog article. You can also view the recorded webinar here. In the video you will find automatically translated subtitles in German and Spanish. Have fun!
According to a Harvard Business Review study, managers spend an average of 23 hours a week in meetings, and 71% of meetings are deemed unnecessary.
So how can we ensure that meetings are really being used for what they are meant for: valuable team time. I’ll show you which meetings to cut and which ones to keep. And most importantly, how asynchronous communication can help your team replace meetings.
Meetings that definitely have to take place
Whenever the social aspect plays an important role, the meeting should take place. Under no circumstances should you cancel the following meetings:
- Team building activities
- Project initiation/kick-off meetings
- Evaluation meetings
If you only have a little time and need a quick result, a meeting is worthwhile. In creative processes, it is also very inspiring to think together and to give each other new ideas. Discussions and brainstorming sessions are also a good reason for a meeting in this case, but not every brainstorming session has to take place in a meeting.
Meetings you should cancel immediately
Meetings should definitely be goal-oriented and only used when this form of communication is necessary. The following meetings can be canceled and replaced with asynchronous communication:
- Pure reporting meetings
- Status updates
- Notices and Announcements
- only one person speaks
- Lectures
The wrong people are also in many meetings. Not everyone always has to be present, for some the minutes or the recording of the meeting is sufficient. Discuss with your team if you feel you are…
- not needed for the meeting
- there is no clear agenda or reason for the meeting.
With these tips you can definitely save some valuable time and be more receptive and active in the really important meetings.
Alternatives to Meetings
Zoom fatigue is now a well-known term and leads to less attention and interaction in your meetings. Instead of meetings, you can use asynchronous communication.
In order for asynchronous communication to work well, you should adhere to the following 3 rules:
- Information must be complete: Communicate in a thorough manner so that no follow-up questions are necessary
- Clear communication guidelines: Each person has a different form of communication. You have to find a common path for your organization and the creation of communication guidelines helps with this.
- Respect the working hours: Especially when your team is traveling in different time zones, it is particularly important to respect the working hours and to take them into account in the planning.
Asynchronous communication is a very inclusive way of communicating because it allows your team to respond at their best time. Creating good asynchronous communication definitely helps increase your team’s efficiency.
