Don't give up on asynchronous too early — A call for more grit

I am a massive advocate for remote and asynchronous. I am so convinced of the benefits that I get impatient way too often. Not only that, I try to push so hard, my co-workers push back every so often.

An example:

Proposal: Let's do the status updates with prerecorded Videos (for instance: a Loom).

Answers:

• I would not consume the videos because I can't remember to do so.
• If a question pops up, I can't ask that right away.
• It's more efficient to have a quick chat.
• I prefer not to wait for days to get an answer.

I get that. Remote and asynchronous is hard to adopt for many people. We are trained to work synchronous from the very beginning. Meetings give us the impression to be convenient and efficient.

But, ask yourself. What could you do with the freedom that a truly asynchronous work model has to offer? No dependency for time and location anymore. Everything documented, information distributed without an additional effort. Let this sink in: No meeting notes that nobody can decipher after the meeting.

Is video easy? No. Is discussing in a forum easy? Nope. Some will get right away, some won't. Is it worth it? Hell yes.

All you need is a grit. Courage to try it out. Trust that I will work out. Don't give up too early. Don't move back synchronous because asynchronous doesn't “feels efficient” at the very beginning.

Push through, adopt where necessary but keep at it. For a considerable amount of time. Six Months at least. Talk with others about your challenges and successes. Eventually, it will work. Thank me later.