Your Remote Team’s Approach to Tools, Meetings, and Collaboration Matters
Using the right tools and setting clear norms for how they’re used
The MAP Framework is a practical guide for managers navigating the essentials of distributed work. Mission and Metrics clarifies goals and how to measure performance, People & Participation focuses on culture and relationships, and Approach, the focus of this post, shapes how the work actually gets done.
At its core, Approach comes down to two things:
Balancing synchronous and asynchronous collaboration
Using the right tools for the right purpose
The Remote Team’s Power Strategies: Synchronous and Asynchronous Work
Remote teams thrive when they strike the right balance of synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (on-your-own-time) work. Yet many managers of remote and hybrid teams assume collaboration must happen live on Zoom. When meetings dominate calendars, deep work has to be squeezed between calls or after work. Overcorrecting in the other direction by relying almost entirely on asynchronous updates creates its own issues, like delays, miscommunication, and duplicated efforts.
The most effective remote team managers get the balance of asynchronous and synchronous work right.
Synchronous communication best practices for remote teams
Synchronous work, most often through virtual meetings, is an important part of remote teamwork. But its effectiveness depends on intentional and strategic use.
Use virtual meetings only when necessary
Because virtual meetings are easy to schedule, they are often overused in the remote environment. This means calendars fill up, leaving little time to complete the actual work teams quietly wondering if each meeting could have been an email. Remote team managers should be on high alert to prevent too many unnecessary meetings.
Signs your remote team has too many unnecessary virtual meetings
Agendas are recycled across weeks with little to no additions each week
Team members are consistently multitasking or keeping their cameras off
Decisions made in the meeting are not followed up on
The most effective remote managers treat meetings as if they are a scarce resource. They ask whether the topic truly requires a synchronous discussion or if it can be completed asynchronously. The following guidelines can help remote managers determine if a real-time discussion is required or if it can be resolved asynchronously.
When a virtual meeting is necessary:
A decision with multiple stakeholders requires nuance and cannot be resolved in writing
Brainstorming or creative problem-solving would benefit from a real-time exchange
Situations where alignment is urgent
When a virtual meeting might not be necessary:
Routine status updates
Information-sharing that does not require a discussion
Problem-solving that can be conducted with info gathered asynchronously
Establish ground rules around meetings
When virtual meetings are necessary, structure matters. Without structure or clear expectations, they can turn into a one-way broadcast with disengaged participants multitasking in the background.
Virtual meeting best practices
Use an agenda: circulate an agenda in advance and invite contributions to signal that the meeting has a purpose and level-set what participation expectations are
Set expectations: clarify participation expectations so the team can prepare and participate accordingly (e.g., chat contributions, raising a hand, unmuting)
Mind the time: start and end on time to respect your teammates’ time
Delegate facilitation: assign a facilitator who keeps the discussion on track, watches the clock, and ensures quieter voices are heard
Document due-outs: capture due-outs in real time to make sure they are not lost or consider recording the meeting/providing a transcript for those who could not attend
These guidelines can help meetings run more smoothly and build a meaningful bridge between synchronous and asynchronous work.
Does your remote team need help resetting virtual meeting best practices? Check out our ready-to-run workshops on virtual meeting best practices or contact us for a custom workshop.
Asynchronous Communication Best Practices for Remote Teams
Asynchronous work shouldn’t replace synchronous collaboration entirely, but it should make the calendar less crowded so live meetings are reserved for the discussions that really require them. Done well, asynchronous work gives every team member an opportunity to complete their work regardless of their time zone or meeting schedule. Generally, communicating about asynchronous work falls into one of two buckets: written communication and audio/visual communication. Written communication must be clear and easy-to-read and other forms of communication should be tailored to your intended audience’s needs.
Keep written communication about asynchronous work clear and easy-to-read
With fewer meetings on the calendar, async messages carry more weight. If updates are vague or rambling, one problem (too many meetings) ends up being traded for another (misunderstandings, delays, etc.). Effective asynchronous communication depends on clarity of written communication. Remote managers should encourage their teams to:
Write for skimmability: use bullets, bold text, and short paragraphs to highlight key takeaways
Give enough context: your reader will likely see your communication hours later. Reduce the amount of time going back-and-forth with follow up questions by making sure they have enough context by including it in the message or linking to it elsewhere
Standardize update formats: consider templates or recurring formats for updates so your teammates know what to expect
Set expectations: set expectations around response time, where updates are shared, and how asynchronous tools are used
Think beyond written communication for asynchronous work
Not all async communication needs to be text. In fact, sometimes it should not be! Long, written updates are difficult for team members to go through quickly and are often misread or ignored altogether. Video, audio, and visuals can reduce the time and effort required for your audience to digest the information.
Asynchronous communication ideas for remote teams
Use different formats: use short video recordings or voice memos to explain complex tasks with the tone, nuance, or context that it might need. Many tools also auto-generate transcripts so colleagues can choose whether they watch, listen, or skim the text
Leverage visuals: use visuals like screen shots or annotated slides to create quick diagrams or highlight important information
Anticipate follow-up questions: anticipate the FAQs for a given task and incorporate them into the communication. Getting ahead of any clarification questions can help reduce a back and forth later
Cater to different learning styles: provide options, as different team members may absorb information differently
Does your remote team need help establishing norms around asynchronous communication? Contact us for a custom workshop to create a Team Charter around asynchronous work.
What Remote Team Collaboration Tools Should Be Used for Which Purpose?
One of the biggest causes of remote team inefficiency is using the wrong tool for the wrong purpose - or not maximizing the tools already in place. Do any of these common pain points with remote collaboration tools sound familiar?
Chat Platforms
Over-reliance as the default tool for everything
Inconsistent use of threads
Pressure to respond instantly
Decisions made in chat never documented elsewhere
Treating inbox search as document storage
Inconsistent use of cc, bcc, and “reply all”
Knowledge buried in attachments
Video Calls
Calls become one-way “broadcasts” with limited participation
Defaulting to calls for updates that could be async
Fatigue from too many meetings
Poor use of platform features
Project Management Software
Over-reliance on personal notes or docs
“Checking the box” creates the illusion of productivity
Lack of weight given to task size or impact
An important point to underscore is that these are not technology problems. These are problems around expectations and norms because when expectations aren’t clear, people default to whatever feels the most natural for them. Fortunately, these are solvable problems with simple root causes.
Common Challenges in Remote Team Communication
These pain points often happen for a few reasons:
Unspoken Norms: If a team never explicitly agrees on where updates go or how tools are used, people default to what feels easiest for them.
Over-Reliance on Personal Preference: Every team member brings their own style and habits. Without team-wide agreements, work gets fragmented across personal systems.
Replacing In-Office Habits: Many remote workers replicate old office workflows (e.g., defaulting to meetings instead of async updates, or using chat as a stand-in for hallway conversations).
Lack of Reinforcement: Even with clear expectations, teams can drift back into old habits without gentle reminders, leadership modeling, and consistent reinforcement.
How to Fix Remote Team Collaboration Challenges
If your team faces these issues, a few intentional practices can help:
Offer training and refreshers: Run short sessions so the team knows how to use tools as intended.
Assign tool ownership: Give one team member responsibility for staying on top of updates and keeping practices consistent.
Model by example: Leaders should visibly use tools in the way they expect others to.
Co-create a Communication Charter: Document shared norms for tools, async vs sync communication, and decision-making so everyone works from the same playbook.
Run better meetings: Reserve video calls for synchronous work, always use an agenda, and capture outcomes in a visible, shareable place.
Want help building your remote team’s Communication Charter or reworking existing practices? Ready to set norms for smarter, more effective meetings? Contact us to schedule a custom workshop, or explore our Communication Reset and Meeting Smarter workshops.