Get async right

There are complex companies where even seemingly simple decisions require meetings with a large number of participants, often to avoid offending someone. The Agile Studio avoids this mentality. Only essential people participate in meetings, for the necessary amount of time. If someone feels they are wasting time, they are free to get up and leave the room (or exit the Google Meet).

Not all meetings are harmful. In fact, some things are better addressed together.

• Analyzing and discussing the brief of a new project.
• Conducting retrospectives on what is going well and what can be improved.
• Finding a solution to a complex problem.

And many other occasions that primarily require a creative contribution – meaning they require imagination to solve a problem.

The rest can be handled asynchronously. However, there is a great misunderstanding about it: when someone mentions asynchronous communication, they immediately think of messaging software like Slack. But be careful, it's not so much about the tool, but how we use it. Communicating asynchronously means writing a message while trying to anticipate all the necessary information for the recipient. Allowing them to respond or take action when they have the opportunity. This is asynchronous communication.

Instant messaging is not asynchronous communication. In fact, some tools, like Slack, can push for synchronous communication, encouraging immediate exchanges. This approach can work in some situations, such as when two people are working simultaneously on the same problem, but it's not suitable for all situations. Instant messaging promotes multitasking, which, with continuous context switches, results in a significant cognitive load. The result? It takes much longer to complete tasks.