asynchronous work: an adaptation for its time
by Teresa Chan & Marguerite DeMartino Millions of workers have adapted to remote work, and companies have successfully pivoted to this new work dynamic necessitated by the pandemic. Now, an emerging question is whether remote work can be viable when it is also asynchronous. Corporate culture, business need, and operational efficacy are some key considerations. However, if we reflect on what many already practice, we can alleviate uncertainties inhibiting fully asynchronous work and employ a strategic approach to embracing it. Asynchronous work does not require an employee to be physically present in the office during set hours of the day. Workers can complete their work, subject to the usual deadlines and standards, but with the flexibility to complete the work at times that are convenient for them and without the expectation that they are immediately available for interaction during set work hours. While this concept may seem more foreign than remote work, asynchronous work is woven into our traditional work structure. Workers have readily applied it to managing their desk, schedules and workflow. Recall the last time you set aside time outside of work hours, or even during business hours, to “get things done” – arriving at the office an hour or two early for uninterrupted work time before a day of scheduled meetings, or staying late to tackle a to-do list that only got longer throughout the day. It started when remote login was possible and Blackberrys or laptops were routinely distributed, first to managers and then to non-managerial employees at all levels and in almost every function. Indeed, employers initiated the trend towards making asynchronous work not only acceptable, but often expected. The ability of an employee to perform at or above expectations despite increasingly greater demands is reliant on remote, off-hours work and has become a performance metric. The foundation for asynchronous work was laid well before 2020. For those employers who are concerned that information sharing, innovation, and the quality of asynchronous work would be lacking, the success of online, asynchronous programs in higher education indicates otherwise. Full time professionals enroll as part time students in master’s programs where they balance demanding work and personal lives with the rigors of earning an advanced degree. The combination of asynchronous instruction, coupled with synchronous problem based learning projects and assignments, provides optimal flexibility for the busy professional. Through a dedicated learning management system or LMS (designed to make materials accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week), students watch/listen to recorded lectures, panel discussions, and read content on their own time. They do this from anywhere – in the office or car, at their child’s soccer practice or on vacation several time zones away.
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Intelligent Risk - April 2022
