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Async communication is a simple concept: you send a message without expecting an immediate response. The surprising thing is the side-effects of async if you make it the default communication.
Here are some core learnings we've done at Doist in the last 8 years 🧵
Here are some core learnings we've done at Doist in the last 8 years 🧵
🤝 Default to Trust
You don't know when or if people are working. You also need to trust that your teammates will deliver on time. The only way you'll make this work is in a super high-trust environment.
You don't know when or if people are working. You also need to trust that your teammates will deliver on time. The only way you'll make this work is in a super high-trust environment.
🔍 Default to Transparency
Being blocked can be a huge setback because async work isn't real-time. Given this, you'll see a ton of transparency in async-first teams because you don't want to block people from accessing resources by default (e.g., information, codebases, servers)
Being blocked can be a huge setback because async work isn't real-time. Given this, you'll see a ton of transparency in async-first teams because you don't want to block people from accessing resources by default (e.g., information, codebases, servers)
🦹♀️ Independence and Autonomy
You'll see companies adopt empowering individuals with direct responsibility and decentralized decision-making. Reaching consensus in async environments is slow (because it isn't real-time). You need to empower the individual to go fast.
You'll see companies adopt empowering individuals with direct responsibility and decentralized decision-making. Reaching consensus in async environments is slow (because it isn't real-time). You need to empower the individual to go fast.
✍️ Everyone is a Writer
Writing is the core way you communicate in an async environment, and everyone in the organization must have clear, concise, and engaging writing. It becomes one of the most critical skills.
Writing is the core way you communicate in an async environment, and everyone in the organization must have clear, concise, and engaging writing. It becomes one of the most critical skills.
📚 Everyone is a Reader
This might be obvious, but I doubt people know how much reading there is in an async environment. E.g., at Doist, we've added over 2 million unique objects in our Twist workspace. This means there's a ton of reading! 😅
This might be obvious, but I doubt people know how much reading there is in an async environment. E.g., at Doist, we've added over 2 million unique objects in our Twist workspace. This means there's a ton of reading! 😅
💪 Hands-on management
In an async environment, you evaluate work by looking at what has been produced. This requires functional experts who can evaluate the work. E.g. a design manager needs to be an expert designer; you can't have somebody that does not what good design is.
In an async environment, you evaluate work by looking at what has been produced. This requires functional experts who can evaluate the work. E.g. a design manager needs to be an expert designer; you can't have somebody that does not what good design is.
🛑 Not Async-Only
In async-first, you still need to build real connections with people. This means you still need to sprinkle in meetings (e.g., in 1:1 calls to deliver feedback) or meet regularly (e.g., retreats).
Async-first isn't async-only!
In async-first, you still need to build real connections with people. This means you still need to sprinkle in meetings (e.g., in 1:1 calls to deliver feedback) or meet regularly (e.g., retreats).
Async-first isn't async-only!
What did I miss? Feel free to add it below 😊
For the record, @bkaneMN runs a fantastic newsletter on async and how to adopt it and become better at it. It's worth a subscription!
async.twist.com/
async.twist.com/
