Asynchronous communications guide

LinkORB team members are spread across the globe. This is true for technical writers, engineering, infrastructure, and all teams alike.

As such, asynchronous communication is a cornerstone of how LinkORB operates. It ensures you don’t have to stay up all night for real-time discussions with teammates whose time zones are 10 hours ahead of yours.

Simply put, communicating asynchronously is like leaving voicemails for someone you’re sure will reply even if you’re not sure when they will reply. So, send that Topics message now but don’t badger your teammates for an immediate response 🙃.

Effective asynchronous communication

Often, someone on the team may require input or feedback from another team member before moving to the next phase of a task or a project. Using asynchronous communication for such discussions means the person seeking feedback/input and the persons whose inputs/feedback are required may not be online at the same time.

To get the most out of such a discussion, consider the following when seeking input/feedback asynchronously:

• Share information or questions in the most accessible format(s) (screenshots, videos, text, polls, pull requests).
• In your written requests, please provide as much relevant information as possible, including links to give the recipient(s) context on the subject matter.
• Highlight important points or questions.
• Don’t stop at asking questions; research and suggest possible solutions.
• Leverage (new or existing) dedicated topics with descriptive titles.
• If a team member takes longer than usual to reply to your message, create an HQ sub-task with your questions or requests as the description, and assign that sub-task to the delayed team member with a status of input.

Asynchronous communication best practices

The following are some asynchronous communication best practices for engaging with team members on various platforms.

Minimize timezone preference

Unless explicitly required or agreed upon, please communicate asynchronously and only use synchronous communication when the time zones of the affected parties overlap. Staying up all night for a synchronous discussion may produce “desired results” in the short term, but it could lead to burnout in the long term.

Use polls for group decision making

Reach for StrawPoll when trying to decide between two or more options and require your team’s input. Polls encourage your teammates to asynchronously participate in the decision-making process because you’ve done the heavy lifting of listing the available options. All they have to do is click a few buttons. Please see using polls to make group decisions for more information.

Build a positive asynchronous culture

Even though we don’t share an office or interact face-to-face very often, we think LinkORB has an amazing culture! While we are working hard and moving fast, we also put effort into using a positive and collaborative tone in our asynchronous communications. 😺 Emoticons and memes are supported (and encouraged) across our communication tools.

Opt for synchronous communication on time-sensitive matters

While phone calls and other synchronous communication channels are discouraged, please use them for top-priority, time-sensitive, or emergency matters.