With today's remote working environment, are you feeling powerless to help your team avoid overworking, battle zoom fatigue, or find time for deep work? Perhaps your team is still unwilling to break the dependence on synchronous communication that may be getting in the way of your organization’s success and productivity. If you’re seeking empowerment to take control of your HR operations, join Laurel Farrer, Founder and CEO of Distribute Consulting, for this illuminating discussion on optimizing intra-organization communication. This session, drawing on Laurel's 15 years as a remote work thought leader, will cover: • How to bolster remote communication and ensure a uniform grasp of HR technology within your company • How to assess the health of your organization's communication channels • What actionable steps you can take to improve your workload • What HR processes that you can implement will have everyone thinking you're at the top of the HR field

5. THE ART OF
ASYNCHRONOUS
Connecting Distributed Teams through Digital Channels

6. Optimizing virtual workforces for
corporate and socioeconomic impact

7. STRATEGIC DESIGN
& RESEARCH
Creation or adaptation of
workflows, toolkits, and
programs to solve a problem.
CHANGE
MANAGEMENT
Making the transition from
physical to virtual successful
and sustainable.
CONTENT, EVENTS,
& MARKETING
Subject matter expertise
delivered as articles, courses,
presentations, and more.
Remote Work Expertise

8. Asynchronous
Communication
Revolutionary strategy
or just jargon?
Slack/Teams threads and assignments
DIGITAL WORKPLACES
CLOUD FILE SHARING
Comments and assignments in docs
+ Text Messages, Instant Messaging, etc.
EMAIL & MOBILE

9. POLL
What has been the biggest challenge for your
organization in adopting asynchronous
communication?

10. Think Async, not ASAP

11. Roadmap
What are the nuances that define success in
written communication?
Managing the channels that host your virtual group
conversations.
How to capture attention and emotions without
body language.
1: SETTING EXPECTATIONS
2: FUELING EFFICIENCY
3: STRENGTHENING ENGAGEMENT

12. Section 1
INCREASING THE VISIBILITY AND ACTIVITY
OF TEAM COMMUNICATION
EXPECTATIONS

13. Virtual Communication
ENSURE
SECURITY WITH
CONSISTENCY
ENHANCE
EFFICACY WITH
TRANSPARENCY
PREVENT
ISOLATION WITH
FREQUENCY

14. Virtual Communication
ENSURE
SECURITY WITH
CONSISTENCY
ENHANCE
EFFICACY WITH
TRANSPARENCY
PREVENT
ISOLATION WITH
FREQUENCY

15. BAD IDEA
"I sent an email an
hour ago, but he
hasn't responded yet.
GOOD IDEA
"I have contacted Bill
via the method of
communication we've
agreed to reserve for
emergencies - text
message, call, email
with URGENT title, or
an emergency channel.
When he sees it, he'll
respond to me within
the hour."
You have a critical and urgent question for Bill...

16. Design a chart for communication preferences
to set expectations about
accessibility, responsiveness, and channel urgency.

17. Virtual Communication
ENSURE
SECURITY WITH
CONSISTENCY
ENHANCE
EFFICACY WITH
TRANSPARENCY
PREVENT
ISOLATION WITH
FREQUENCY

18. BAD IDEA
"Thanks."
GOOD IDEA
"Thanks for sending
this before the
deadline. I am
especially impressed
by the projections
section -- the graphics
help make the data
more understandable.
Will you be starting
the Iowa project now?"
A new hire just submitted their first project...

19. In remote work, over-communication
is just communication.

20. Virtual Communication
ENSURE
SECURITY WITH
CONSISTENCY
ENHANCE
EFFICACY WITH
TRANSPARENCY
PREVENT
ISOLATION WITH
FREQUENCY

21. BAD IDEA
"Good meeting. I'm
excited about this new
direction. Let me know
when your tasks are
finished".
GOOD IDEA
"Let's type up some
notes to propose
these changes to the
entire team. Then we
can follow up next
week to make
assignments and
roadmap
implementation
together."
A spontaneous meeting happened with only the in-office team members...

22. If you have a remote team member,
you have a remote team.

23. Be responsive.
Give context.
Update proactively.

24. Section 2
MORE COMMUNICATION DOESN'T ALWAYS
MEAN MORE COMMUNICATION
EFFICIENCY

25. TEAMWORK IS MORE THAN MEETINGS
ASYNCHRONOUS &
COLLABORATIVE
Knowledge sharing without
expectation of an immediate
response, like email or DMs
SYNCHRONOUS &
COLLABORATIVE
Real-time interactions,
such as conference calls and
video meetings
ASYNCHRONOUS &
INDEPENDENT
Updates, tasks, or deliveries
that impact others, but require
no response or interaction

26. Synchronous
&
Collaborative
RESERVE FOR
COLLABORATIVE
DECISION MAKING,
STRATEGIC
THINKING, OR
URGENT TOPICS

27. Asynchronous
&
Collaborative
DEFAULT GENERAL
CONVERSATIONS TO
PUBLIC CHANNELS
FOR VISIBILITY AND
SEARCHABILITY

28. Asynchronous
&
Independent
DESIGNATE "FYI"
UPDATES AND
RECURRING
REPORTS TO BE
SUBMITTED
WITHOUT RESPONSE

29. THE CONVERSATION IS EMOTIONALLY CHARGED
A MESSAGE THREAD BECOMES TOO LONG
OUTPUT REQUIRES INPUT
TOPIC, RESULT, OR DECISION IS URGENT
INCREASE SYNC IF...

30. CHARGED CONVERSATIONS
Reviews Proposals
Conflicts Promotions
Dismissals Feedback

31. In order to speed up, first slow down.

32. Section 3
HOW TO FACILITATE PERSONAL CONNECTION IN
SEEMINGLY IMPERSONAL CHANNELS
EMOTIONS

33. Humanizing Digital
Channels
How to increase
connection during a
virtual conversation
Engagement is more than eye contact
ATTENTION
ASKING
"Assume miscommunication over malice"
Connect with a person, not a persona
AUTHENTICITY

34. Build Trust with
Authenticity
You're talking to a human, not a screen
BE VULNERABLE + TRANSPARENT
Is your empathy fueled by a memory?
SHARE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
Make your nonverbal language easier to "hear"
EXAGGERATE EMOTIONS

35. Pay Attention
with Mindfulness
You're not fooling anyone -- you're offending
AVOID MULTI-TASKING
Place the cam at eye level, and look into it
MAKE "EYE CONTACT"
A pen and paper can boost focus and accuracy
TAKE NOTES

36. Actively Listen
by Asking
Don't make assumptions or feign understanding
SHED YOUR EGO
Listen for both facts and feelings
READ BETWEEN THE LINES
Don't just feel a response, give feedback
ARTICULATE REACTIONS

37. Stronger visibility requires stronger transparency.

38. Wrap Up
ARE YOU READY TO BUILD, STRENGTHEN,
OR LEVERAGE YOUR VIRTUAL CULTURE?
SUMMARY

39. "In remote work, overcommunication
is just communication."

40. EXERCISE
EMPATHY IN
MESSAGING
AGREE ON
STANDARDS &
EXPECTATIONS
SIMPLIFY &
FILTER TEAM
CONNECTIONS
Take Action

41. EXERCISE
EMPATHY IN
MESSAGING
AGREE ON
STANDARDS &
EXPECTATIONS
SIMPLIFY &
FILTER TEAM
CONNECTIONS
INCREASE
CONTEXTUAL
TRANSPARENCY
Take Action

42. EXERCISE
EMPATHY IN
MESSAGING
AGREE ON
STANDARDS &
EXPECTATIONS
SIMPLIFY &
FILTER TEAM
CONNECTIONS
INCREASE
CONTEXTUAL
TRANSPARENCY
DESIGN A
COMMUNICATION
CHARTER
Take Action

43. EXERCISE
EMPATHY IN
MESSAGING
AGREE ON
STANDARDS &
EXPECTATIONS
SIMPLIFY &
FILTER TEAM
CONNECTIONS
INCREASE
CONTEXTUAL
TRANSPARENCY
DESIGN A
COMMUNICATION
CHARTER
CONSOLIDATE
OR REPLACE
MEETINGS
Take Action

46. PRODUCED BY
REMOTE WORK EXPERTISE & SOLUTIONS
Distribute Consulting is the world's foremost think tank and consulting firm specializing exclusively in remote work. Our team of
international telework experts help businesses start, strengthen, and leverage virtual workforces to solve corporate and
socioeconomic concerns.
For internal use only. This presentation includes data that shall not be disclosed outside Distribute Consulting and our client and
shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed—in whole or in part—for any purpose other than to support the change management
needs of the organization.

47. QUESTIONS?
LAUREL FARRER
CEO, Distribute Consulting
LinkedIn: /in/laurel-farrer
Twitter: @laurel_farrer
info@distributeconsulting.com