Reinventing Meetings: Say Goodbye to Frustration and Hello to Productivity!

Tired of wasting hours in unproductive meetings that seem to go on forever? Frustrated with the lack of progress and clear outcomes??

Well, you’re not alone!?

Many of us have experienced the pain of endless meetings that drain our time and energy without achieving much.

But guess what??

There’s a better way to tackle meetings!?

Picture this: instead of sitting through long, drawn-out sessions, imagine having the flexibility to conduct half of your meetings asynchronously. Sounds intriguing, right?

With this handy tool, you can bid farewell to endless monologues and engage in more meaningful discussions. Say goodbye to screen-sharing mishaps and awkward pauses!?

Simply share your proposal and discuss your projects with your team and clients async.?

Here’s how to get started:

#1. Share information about the topic in the same way you would during a meeting, either by screen sharing or providing a link to a document.

#2. Next, ask questions and invite your team or clients to share their ideas, provide feedback, evaluate additional risks, or discuss possible improvements. You can even seek their approval to proceed with your work. This approach helps keep your meetings (asynchronous meetings) well-organized, making it easier to achieve outcomes and make decisions.

I was invited to this async session recently to discuss this new design.

This approach allows team members and clients involved to review the material at their own pace, helping them absorb the content more effectively.?

In fact, it is extremely effective!?

Not only will it reduce the duration of your meetings by half, but your team will also regain some energy, feel more engaged, and have more time to actually get more work done. The best part is that decisions are saved in the session, and you can always revisit how decisions were made.

But that’s not all! The real magic lies in the post-meeting phase. Once you’ve shared your insights, everyone can pitch in with their questions and feedback, making it a collaborative decision-making process. No more feeling unheard or left out — everyone’s voice gets the chance to be heard.

Plus, having a visible due date for responses ensures that progress keeps moving forward. No more chasing down colleagues for their input or waiting endlessly for answers. Nova will automatically send them reminders and add these async sessions to their to-do list. It’s like a well-organized and efficient meeting without the headaches.

Oh, and did we mention the added benefit of building a more inclusive environment? With everyone’s answers visible, it fosters a sense of teamwork and camaraderie, making participants feel valued and motivated.

So, if you’re tired of the same old, unproductive meeting grind, give this asynchronous approach a try.?

Embrace a new, well-prepared meeting style that saves time, encourages collaboration, and brings back the joy of making real progress.?

Let me help you define which meetings are better suited for the asynchronous approach and which ones you should keep in their traditional format.?

Meetings that should follow the Traditional format?

• Meetings for Team Building: Any meetings with the objective of building team rapport and fostering a sense of belonging are best kept in the traditional format. If you need some exciting activities for your team-building sessions, here are some of our favorites: Tool1, Tool2, and Tool3.
• One-on-One Conversations and Personal Discussions: Whenever you have meetings with team members or clients to discuss specific problems or personal matters, it’s advisable to stick to the traditional format.
• Team Retrospectives or Check-ins that occur infrequently but bring the team together: If you meet with your team only 2 or 3 times a month, consider keeping these meetings as they are, to maintain emotional check-ins and connection with the team.
• First Meetings or Kick-off Meetings: When introducing a project or a new phase, it’s better to conduct these meetings traditionally to ensure clear expectations and observe participants’ energy and body language.
• When consolidating ideas and decisions: When consolidating ideas and decisions, a traditional meeting is essential, especially if you’ve been receiving numerous individual messages and communication has been scattered in silos. This meeting will allow you to address everyone’s questions, provide clarity, and bring together all the information in a cohesive manner.
• When you need an answer immediately.?

To recap, avoid asynchronous meetings in the following scenarios:

1. When reading body language is crucial.
2. During simple conversations or discussions.
3. When the primary goal is team building, rather than achieving a specific objective or decision-making.

When should you move your meetings to asynchronous?

• Team Check-ins: If you have too many check-in meetings to monitor project status and progress, consider automating some through Slack or converting them to asynchronous sessions.
• Initial Ideation or Brainstorming Sessions: For generating new concepts and ideas, asynchronous sessions allow everyone to contribute at their own pace, making it fairer for introverted or shy team members and encouraging more collaboration and creativity.
• Seeking Feedback from Team or Clients: Instead of rushed feedback meetings, asynchronous sessions provide ample time for participants to digest information and offer valuable input, ensuring a more inclusive environment for quieter team members.
• Approval Meetings: Meetings aimed at obtaining approvals can be efficiently moved to asynchronous sessions using Nova’s templates, saving time and streamlining the decision-making process.

While I have a few more recommendations, these should be a great starting point, and you’ll soon discover the benefits.?

Achieve greater productivity and seamless teamwork today by implementing our asynchronous meeting approach!?

With just a simple shift in your meeting style, you can reduce meeting time by half while boosting team engagement and efficiency. Best of all, it takes just minutes to get started, not hours. Try it out and experience the positive changes firsthand!

Give it a try!?

Create your first Async Session Now.?