The power of asynchronous work: streamlined communication and work-life balance

I’ve been back to work at Automattic for almost two months. I initially worked here between 2017 and 2021. One of the biggest adjustments for me since getting back has been getting used to working asynchronously.

With the company being fully distributed, it’s almost a necessity for us to work this way. Thankfully, the transition has been like riding a bike. Partially because of my experience working here before. But also because they’re so well set up to work that way with the right tools and culture.

In this short time, I’ve really come to appreciate working asynchronously and can already see all of these benefits from working this way:

• I’m in less meetings and have more time to get work done,
• I don’t have to always respond to everything right away,
• I get to work when I feel productive and not when my colleagues are working,
• I can interact with a lot more people at once,
• All my work is documented in writing. It’s easy to search, refer back to, trace decisions, and ask for feedback on. It opens the door for more people to collaborate together.

I should note that while I enjoy working asynchronously, it can’t be the only way you work. It needs to be balanced with some real time interactions and even in person connections to be effective.