Think Before You Sync
Meetings aren’t the enemy, but they’re not always the right tool for the job. Determine if a meeting is necessary or if async work would save time and improve collaboration.
PREP TIME
0m
Run TIME
5m
Persons
1
5-second summary
- Ask these five questions when you're scheduling a meeting or determining the best format to collaborate.
- Decide whether meeting in real time (“sync”), inviting people to collaborate on their own time (“async”), or a combination of both is the best fit.
- Communicate the plan to your collaborators.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- Preferred async communication tool, like Loom
PLAY resources
How to decide to meet in real time or work async
Determine if a meeting is necessary or if async work would save time and improve collaboration.
What is asynchronous (or “async”) work?
Async work is teamwork that happens when you communicate or collaborate without needing everyone to be present at the same time. Examples include sending an email, video, Slack/Teams message, or a comment on a document.
Sync work is teamwork that happens in real time, whether in-person or virtual, scheduled or impromptu. Examples include hosting meetings or sending Slack/Teams messages back and forth in real time.
Why run the Think Before You Sync Play?
Meetings aren’t the enemy, but they’re not always the right tool for the job. We often default to meeting in real time to share, solve, or decide – even when async might be a better fit. Collaboration works better when the format fits the goal.
This Play helps you determine the best format for your work: sync or async. This does not mean eliminating meetings completely. The goal is to shift the right things async to reduce meetings, protect your time, and make more space for deep work.
When should you run this Play?
You can run this Play when you’re feeling overwhelmed by meetings, strapped for time (especially to do deep work), or whenever you’re trying to decide whether it’s necessary to meet with teammates.
5 benefits of intentionally deciding whether to meet live or work async
Too much time spent in meetings can backfire. Meetings can be:
- Time-consuming—They eat into time for focused deep work and often lead to after-hours catch-up.
- Disruptive—Stripey calendars full of broken-up time blocks make it nearly impossible to get into a flow state.
- Unclear—Real-time convos can ramble or move too fast.
- Exclusive—Important info often stays locked in the room, even if others could benefit.
Draining—Zoom fatigue and context switching make meetings less productive for everyone.
Protects your focus time by reducing interruptions and creating space for deep work
- Encourages clarity and inclusion through thoughtful, written contributions that everyone can access
-
Makes meetings more meaningful by saving live time for high-value collaborative work
Working async helps you get more out of the time you do spend together. The better you work apart, the more meaningful it is when you come back together.
We surveyed 5,000 knowledge workers across four continents in our Workplace Woes research, and the data backs it up.
- 72% of meetings are ineffective
- 80% of people say fewer meetings would make them more productive
- 54% of knowledge workers say meetings shape their day—leaving little room for “real work”
- 76% feel drained after a meeting-heavy day
1. Is it urgent?
Est. time: 5 MIN
- No: Async
- Yes: Sync
No rush means no need to interrupt. Save real-time meetings for time-sensitive topics that need to be addressed quickly.
Tip: Test and iterate
These are not firm rules – just helpful prompts. Check in with your teammates afterward to see what worked well and what you could do differently next time.
2. What’s the goal of collaborating?
Est. time: 1 MIN
- To inform: Async
-
To create, make a decision, or unblock work: Sync
If you’re just sharing information, like a status update or project progress, do so with an async written or video update, which are often more concise and easier to reference. Save your sync time for generating ideas, making decisions, or unblocking work. (Even then, some of that work can still happen async!)
3. How many collaborators are involved?
Est. time: 1 min
- More than 8: Async
-
Less than 8: Sync
Large meetings can be unproductive and make it hard for everyone to share their perspective, while smaller groups can collaborate effectively in real time.
If you want to involve more than eight people, consider syncing with a smaller group and inviting others to contribute async by sharing their thoughts in comments on a document, Slack/Teams, or a video like Loom.
Why is 8 people the limit?
Research shows the most productive meetings have fewer than 8 people.
4. Will one person be talking the whole time?
Est. time: 1 min
- Yes: Async
No: Sync (and/or async)
If one person will be talking the whole time, recording a presentation or update (like a Loom video) might be a better use of everyone’s time and allow people to watch or listen when it’s convenient for them.
If you want to talk with collaborators, real-time conversation paves the way for faster, easier progress. Combining sync time and async work can also make space for people to offer thoughtful input without the pressure to respond right away.
5. How complex is the topic?
Est. time: 1 min
- Not complex: Async
Complex: Sync (and/or async)
A meeting usually isn’t needed to address simple topics. The more complex the topic, the more likely syncing in real time is the better choice. Live conversations help clarify ideas, surface questions, and align faster.
Async work before or after the meeting can still be helpful to make the sync more productive.
Tip: Accommodate for async
If async is the only option, create clear structure and documentation when inviting people to participate, and provide extra time for thoughtful responses.
Follow-up
Communicate cancellations
If a meeting is being canceled or complemented with async work, send collaborators a message to explain what’s changing, why, and how they can stay informed and involved going forward.
Make your sync more successful
If you’re proceeding with a meeting in real time, use these Plays for a more efficient, effective sync.
- Fair Meeting Scheduling: Learn how to schedule meetings that respect everyone’s time zones and personal boundaries.
- Inclusive Meetings: Help give all attendees a sense of belonging.
- Maximize Meeting Impact with AI Meeting Notes: Get the most value out of your sync with an AI notetaker.
- Page-Led Meetings: Use this template and facilitation process to run a more efficient, transparent, inclusive sync.
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