Async by default, meet on purpose

Most coordination moves faster in writing; keep live meetings for what genuinely needs a conversation.

What managers say

When researchers surveyed 182 senior managers across industries, 65% said meetings keep them from completing their own work, 71% said meetings are unproductive and inefficient, and 64% said meetings come at the expense of deep thinking. Microsoft's 2023 Work Trend Index found inefficient meetings were people's top pro…

Async first

Companies that work across time zones have made writing the default. Basecamp's internal guide: "Real-time sometimes, asynchronous most of the time," and "Meetings are the last resort, not the first option." GitLab's handbook lists a bias towards asynchronous communication among the company's values.

When you do meet

Put the purpose and the decision needed in the invite.Invite fewer people, and send the rest the summary.Post the outcome in the thread the same day, so the meeting leaves a record.

Don't demand instant replies

"Never expect or require someone to get back to you immediately unless it's a true emergency," says Basecamp's guide. If you need an answer by a time, say the time.

Prune the calendar together

In the same HBR research, one firm rethought its meetings as a team. Three months later employees reported a 42% increase in team collaboration and a 32% increase in psychological safety to speak up. The change was collective, not one person declining invites.

The short version

Most managers find meetings get in the way of their own work.Default to a written post with a reply deadline.Meet with a purpose, fewer people and a written outcome.Don't expect instant replies; name the time you need.Review the team's meetings together.

Try it in Kanvo

Replace your next status meeting with a post in a Kanvo channel that ends "Reply by 3pm Thursday". If you do need to talk, start a call from the channel and ask the assistant to summarise it into the thread.

Sources

Of 182 senior managers, 65% said meetings keep them from completing their own work and 71% that meetings are unproductive and inefficient; after one firm rethought its meetings, reported team collaboration rose 42% and psychological safety to speak up 32%.