Aligning teams with asynchronous working

Dan Lawyer at Lucid Software discusses why and how organisations can adapt to the new needs of asynchronous working

 

The last few years introduced a variety of working styles, with some companies pushing for a full return to office, and others opting for a hybrid or remote regime. Even though many have modernised their processes, workflows and applications, few have managed to crack the productivity puzzle they all face.

 

The latest statistics from ICAEW reveal a marginal improvement in the last quarter, with UK productivity rising just 0.1% on a per-hour basis in the same quarter a year ago. This is now 1.4% higher than its pre-pandemic level. Up until recently, previous figures suggested that the shift to work-from-home was awful for productivity, with home workers being, on average, 13% less productive than their hybrid counterparts.

 

But the feedback from employees suggests they are happier and more productive than they have ever been with flexible working. So, why have the changes to how we work failed to transform and significantly improve productivity growth?

 

Perhaps business leaders are overestimating their organisation’s alignment. No matter what system firms are using, work is still plagued with siloes and a lack of alignment between teams. Left unchecked, misalignment can manifest itself in a few ways, from deadlines being routinely missed to important documents and processes being lost, leading to disengagement across teams.

 

We commissioned a Workplace Alignment Survey this year, and UK respondents concur that misalignment results in some projects not meeting their objectives (43%), employees becoming annoyed or frustrated (51%) and even talented staff leaving the organisation (42%).

 

A natural reaction to misalignment from managers might be to hold more meetings. However, while having core hours to come together in person is vital, effective working should be defined by how the outcomes are carried through.

 

Solving the productivity puzzle starts with an assessment of how well an organisation is enabling asynchronous working. Then, there are some key considerations for ensuring all employees can work in a way that they’re personally most productive and helps them meet their potential - whether they are remote, hybrid or in the office.

 

Alignment can be an issue anywhere

Businesses are split on where their teams should work from. On one hand, some technology companies advocate for a more formal switch to hybrid and are slashing their office footprint. On the other, businesses synonymous with flexible working are requesting that their employees return-to-office to improve team innovation and interaction.

 

But the reality is people will be subject to many of the same productivity-sucking traps whether they work in-person or remotely.

 

For example, many inefficiencies start with poorly facilitated meetings with unclear next steps, or from versioning issues on documentation, and miscommunications caused by having too many digital tools.

 

These problems will not go away by sending employees back to the office. Without an easy way to see or understand how a project is progressing, teams spend too much time trying to establish the status of the project and what needs to happen next, instead of actually moving the project forward. This is shown by the fact that the average employee spends 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings. Simply put, they may be incredibly busy and incredibly unproductive at the same time.

 

Managers should instead focus on ensuring employees are equipped to work in ways that suit them, at times they feel most productive, wherever they may be. This will result in the organisation collectively delivering higher-impact work.

 

Asynchronous work is the answer

To set a team up to be more productive, executives can build an intentional asynchronous collaboration strategy. One that combines the right tools and techniques to truly help employees capture feedback, share updates, and keep work moving forward without unnecessary meetings.

 

Visual collaboration solutions can provide that common language for cross-functional teams to connect and collaborate in real time or asynchronously. It empowers employees with a central source of truth to stay aligned throughout a project from idea to action, and helps them make informed decisions.

 

Yet, remember, the goal is not to invest in more tools—it is to invest in the right ones that have the integrations to streamline workflows. There were many quick fixes and platforms bought during the pandemic which were once deemed vital for a company’s survival. But leaders should take the time to reassess whether these tools are still fit for purpose, and crucially if they can provide what their workers need.

 

Researching and investing in platforms that easily bring visual collaboration to the apps a team is already using will help workers be more aligned and efficient, and increase overall happiness as well.  

 

Solving the productivity conundrum

If an organisation really wants to make a positive impact on productivity in the workplace, they should recognise the risks and warning signs of misalignment. While some may attribute the problem to workers not spending enough time on their screens or interacting in person, it is often that workers are spending too much time working inefficiently.

 

Improving productivity starts with companies reevaluating their tech stack and making an intentional effort to enable asynchronous collaboration; looking for a platform that provides a space for teams to stay aligned as they collaborate both in real-time and asynchronously.

 

This will give an organisation the boost of efficiency and engagement it needs to get to the next stage of productivity growth.

 

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Dan Lawyer is Chief Product Officer at Lucid Software

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto