Top 7 'Async-Advantage' Productivity Hacks to master for remote workers tired of back-to-back Zoom calls. - Goh Ling Yong
The little red light on your webcam blinks on. You force a smile, adjust your headset, and say for the fifth time today, "Can everyone see my screen?" You're a professional, a high-performer, but your calendar looks like a game of Tetris gone horribly wrong, with back-to-back video calls blocking out any hope of actual, focused work.
This is the silent pandemic of remote work: Zoom fatigue. We traded our commutes for a non-stop barrage of virtual meetings, believing that constant face-time equals productivity. But the truth is, it's burning us out. It fragments our attention, destroys our flow, and leaves us feeling drained and unproductive, despite being "busy" all day.
But what if there was a better way? A way to reclaim your time, do your best work, and collaborate even more effectively? There is. It’s called working asynchronously, and it’s the secret weapon of the world’s most successful remote teams. The 'Async-Advantage' isn't about avoiding your colleagues; it's about communicating with more intention and respecting everyone's need for deep, uninterrupted focus. Here are seven productivity hacks to help you master it.
1. Swap the "Quick Sync" for a "Quick Loom"
That 15-minute "quick sync" to explain a concept or give feedback rarely takes just 15 minutes. By the time you find a mutual time slot, exchange pleasantries, and share your screen, you've lost valuable focus. The alternative? A short, pre-recorded video message using a tool like Loom, Vidyard, or even the built-in screen recorder on your computer.
Instead of trying to articulate a complex visual change in an email, you can record your screen, walk through the design, and use your cursor to point out exactly what you mean. The recipient gets all the context, complete with your tone of voice, but they can watch it on their own schedule—whether that's first thing in the morning or after they’ve finished a deep work session. It's more personal than an email and infinitely more efficient than a meeting.
Pro-Tip: Keep your video messages short and to the point (aim for under 5 minutes). Start by clearly stating the video's purpose ("This is a quick walkthrough of the Q3 report draft, specifically section two."). This small act of asynchronous communication respects your colleague's time and gives them the power to pause, rewind, and absorb the information at their own pace.
2. Create a "Single Source of Truth" to Annihilate Ambiguity
How many times has a meeting been called just to ask, "So, where are we with the Project Alpha launch?" or "Who is the final decision-maker on this?" These questions are symptoms of an information silo, and they are productivity killers. The cure is creating a "Single Source of Truth" (SSoT).
An SSoT is a centralized, living document or dashboard that holds all the essential information about a project, team, or process. This could be a project plan in Notion, a team wiki in Confluence, or even a meticulously organized Google Doc. The goal is to make information self-serve. When anyone has a question, their first instinct should be to check the SSoT, not schedule a meeting or send a Slack message.
This requires a cultural shift from asking people for information to looking it up yourself. It empowers team members with autonomy and context, drastically reducing the need for status update meetings. The time you invest in building and maintaining an SSoT pays massive dividends in reclaimed hours and increased team alignment.
3. Protect Your Deep Work with Strategic "Office Hours"
Asynchronous work doesn't mean you never speak to your colleagues live. Spontaneous, creative collaboration is vital. The 'Async-Advantage' is about making that synchronous time intentional, not the default. A fantastic way to do this is by establishing "office hours."
Instead of allowing your calendar to be a free-for-all, block out one or two specific hours a week where you are available for drop-in calls. Label it "Office Hours: Drop in with Questions" on your shared calendar. This signals to your team that you have dedicated, protected time for deep work, but you also have a predictable window where they can get your immediate attention for brainstorming, quick questions, or roadblocks.
This simple practice sets a powerful boundary. It respects your focus time and the focus time of others. It batches interruptions into a defined period, allowing for long, uninterrupted stretches of productivity while still providing the live support your team needs. It's the perfect hybrid of async-first and synchronous support.
4. Make Better, Faster Decisions with Asynchronous RFCs
Big decisions often get bogged down in endless meeting cycles. Different stakeholders voice opinions, new questions arise, and the conversation gets derailed, forcing you to schedule a "follow-up." A much better approach is the asynchronous Request for Comment (RFC) or "decision doc."
Pioneered in tech companies, this process involves creating a structured document that outlines a proposed decision. It typically includes sections like: Problem Statement (what we are trying to solve), Proposed Solution (the specific recommendation), Alternatives Considered (what else we explored and why we didn't choose it), and Stakeholders (who needs to weigh in).
You then share this document with the relevant team members and give them a clear deadline for feedback (e.g., "Please add your comments and questions by EOD Friday."). This forces everyone to think through their feedback critically and put it in writing. It prevents the loudest voice from dominating the conversation and creates a clear, written record of the decision-making process. The final decision is often better-informed and has more buy-in than one hashed out in a rushed meeting.
5. Adopt a "Write-First" Communication Default
The single most impactful shift you can make towards an async culture is to change your default communication method from talking to writing. Before you hit "create meeting" or send a vague "got a min?" message, ask yourself: "Can I write this down with enough clarity that a meeting becomes unnecessary?"
This discipline forces you to fully think through your own ideas. You can't hide behind a rambling explanation on a call; you must structure your thoughts logically. This is a core principle of effective remote leadership that industry leaders like Goh Ling Yong often champion—clarity of thought precedes clarity of communication. When you write first, you create a searchable artifact that others can reference later, preventing the same questions from being asked repeatedly.
For example, instead of asking for a call to discuss a report, try this: "Hi team, here is the V1 draft of the Q3 performance report. I'm specifically looking for feedback on the data visualizations in Section 3 and the executive summary on page 1. Please add all comments directly to the document by 4 PM tomorrow so I can finalize it." This is clear, actionable, and respects everyone's time.
6. Ditch the Daily Stand-up Meeting for an "Async Check-in"
The daily stand-up is a sacred ritual for many teams, but it can also be a significant drain on productivity. It forces everyone to stop what they're doing at the same time every day, often to share updates that aren't relevant to the entire group. In an asynchronous world, there's a more efficient way to achieve the same goal of alignment and accountability.
Implement an async check-in using a dedicated Slack channel or a simple tool. Each team member answers three simple questions at the beginning of their workday:
- What did I accomplish yesterday?
- What is my main focus for today?
- Are there any blockers preventing me from moving forward?
This written update takes just a few minutes to complete but provides total transparency. Everyone can quickly scan the updates at a time that suits them. More importantly, it surfaces "blockers" in writing, making it easy for managers and teammates to jump in and offer help without waiting for a scheduled meeting. You get all the benefits of alignment without the costly context-switching of a daily synchronous call.
7. Leverage Time-shifted Collaboration on Digital Whiteboards
Brainstorming is one of the most common reasons to call a meeting. We assume that creative energy can only happen when everyone is in the same room (virtual or physical) at the same time. But tools like Miro, Mural, and FigJam have made asynchronous brainstorming incredibly powerful.
Instead of a one-hour live brainstorming session, create a digital whiteboard with clear prompts and set it up for a 24 or 48-hour period. For instance, create columns for "What's working well?", "What could be improved?", and "Wild ideas." Invite your team to add their digital sticky notes whenever inspiration strikes.
This approach has several advantages. It gives introverts and deep thinkers time to process and contribute their best ideas, rather than being overshadowed by faster talkers. It accommodates different time zones and work schedules seamlessly. And when you do come together for a live session to discuss the results, you're starting from a rich foundation of well-developed ideas, not a blank slate.
Reclaim Your Calendar, Reclaim Your Focus
Transitioning to an 'async-first' mindset isn't about eliminating meetings entirely. It's about making them the last resort, not the default. It’s a deliberate cultural shift that values deep work, respects individual schedules, and ultimately leads to more thoughtful and effective collaboration.
By mastering these seven 'Async-Advantage' hacks, you can trade the exhaustion of back-to-back calls for the deep satisfaction of meaningful, focused work. You’ll not only boost your own productivity but also become a catalyst for creating a healthier, more sustainable, and more impactful work culture for your entire team.
Start small. Pick one of these hacks to try this week. Which one will it be? Share your favorite async productivity tip or the one you're most excited to try in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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