7. Sync or Swim: Riding the Waves of Async Work

At Work with The Ready

For decades, face-to-face working has been the default way of working. Launching a new project; untangling an OS problem; updating a team on progress made in the last week—our classic go-to for all those different kinds of work is blocking off time on a calendar. When in doubt, just corral everybody into a room, real or virtual.

But this “one-size-fits-all” approach is coming up short as work evolves. And while almost everyone dreads having a meeting-stuffed calendar, ideas for what to try instead can be in short supply. Plus, when 85% of leaders find it hard to trust that their employees are being productive, async work can look like a risky free-for-all.

In this episode of At Work With The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin explore how our attachment to synchronous work is hampering performance and why asynchronous work is a mindset, not a tool stack.

Looking for other ways to asynchronously enjoy this episode? Check out our Youtube channel for the live video version, or email [e-mail] to get a transcript for reading.

Mentioned references:

• Loom
• Rodney's article on org debt: How to Tackle the Biggest Threat to Your Team's Growth
• Red, amber, green (RAG status)
• Tanisi's podcast episode: BNW Ep. 88 with Tanisi Pooran
• Miro
• Pitch
• Pomodoro method

We’re on LinkedIn! Follow Rodney, Sam and The Ready for more org design nerdery and join the conversation around episodes after they air.

Looking for some help with your own transformation? Visit theready.com

Want future of work insights and experiments you can try delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter.

We want to hear from you. Send your thoughts and feedback to [e-mail].

Read the book that started it all at bravenewwork.com.