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When we read, we absorb information better and faster than when we listen. That’s why meetings are not suitable for transferring knowledge. There are more effective forms of collaboration.
Not Another Meeting: Most knowledge workers view meetings as a burden that prevents them from getting their tasks done.
Almost every company complains about meetings. The apparent need to constantly exchange ideas and discuss issues has led to a huge meeting burden: According to Microsoft research, the number of meetings per capita has increased by 150% since the outbreak. On average, knowledge workers spend 35% to 50% of their time doing this. This real-time collaboration has a big downside. It costs time, money, attention, and efficiency: a study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow showed that 71% of executives find meetings unproductive and inefficient, and 65% say they distract them. So alternative forms of collaboration are urgently needed.
Collaboration requires communication. Our brains process information at different speeds depending on the type of communication. Research shows: We read four times faster than we write. We speak twice as fast as we hear and understand. This means synchronous (i.e., at the same time) communication is relatively slow. Asynchronous, time-shifted communication, which we write and read, is faster.
Usually an email is enough
Specifically, this means that if information is conveyed verbally in a meeting, it is four times slower than if the participants read the information. This knowledge doesn’t seem to have reached everyone’s head yet, as most knowledge workers know what it’s like to be in a meeting that could have been an email. But this is not a request for more emails! But more asynchronous work is needed.
Working asynchronously means that you make a valuable contribution to the whole in your individual work, independently of each other. For example, editing a document, adding ideas to a digital idea board or programming code. Once this step has been taken, others can view, add or comment on the results achieved – also asynchronously. Of course, synchronization is always required, and everyone makes decisions together, determines priorities and assigns the next tasks. Compared to the usual way of working, individual work and paper work predominate.
Introverts are at a disadvantage
There are many advantages to this way of working: it promotes independence and flexibility, because without the need for marathon meetings, people can complete tasks at a time and place that works best for them during the workday. At the same time, concentration is enhanced because you can focus on the task at hand, rather than multitasking during meetings like most people do.
Asynchronous working methods also increase the diversity of ideas: in meetings, where only the loudest voices are often heard, introverts find it difficult to contribute their thoughts and comments. “Only after the meeting do I remember what else I wanted to say about the topic,” one customer who described herself as an introvert told me. But is this way of working really worth it? In a study by platform provider Miro, 61% of respondents said that asynchronous working reduced their levels of fatigue. Because work is more flexible, less stressful, and easier to take breaks.
Meetings should be so rare that we look forward to them
Asynchronous work doesn’t just change the ratio of individual work and synchronous collaboration: the way responsibility and transparency are handled is changing significantly. Everyone is responsible for getting the necessary information themselves – there is an obligation to collect rather than deliver. Feedback must be actively sought when your own work steps are completed. This working model works only if the company’s digital infrastructure enables a high level of transparency: information and documents must be findable and accessible to everyone. Some companies even record all meetings and allow everyone to view them asynchronously. Double playback speed or excerpts are also possible, depending on your preferences.
I wonder how long it will take for people in companies to stop complaining about so many meetings and start cheering for them. Because they are used extremely sparingly, primarily for voting, decision-making, and fostering unity. Until then, we need the courage to adopt new forms of collaboration. Most importantly, recognize that time is our most valuable asset. Let’s use it wisely through asynchronous collaboration.
Nicole Kopp is a work and organizational psychologist and co-founder of the consulting firm GoBeyond.
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