While talking with my wife about the Quick Calls Are Not That Quit post, we chatted briefly about how synchronous calls may allow you to reach a conclusion faster (e.g. you get an answer at 1pm instead of waiting asynchronously for the same answer until 4pm).

But will it always be quicker? In this post I attempt to define prerequisites for a sync call to be faster than doing things async.

Prerequisite 1: You Need The Right People

Imagine you are trying to solve some problem in a service you are integrating with. You get on a call with a person that you think might be able to help.

It turns out that they are not responsible for that service and are not able to help. You just had an unnecessary meeting.

That’s why it’s helpful to have an internal software catalog (like Backstage) so you know which people are responsible for that service and know who to ask for help.

Of course, not everyone has that luxury and sometimes this information might not be up to date. That’s why I think reaching out for help async first might allow you to identify people who can help before scheduling a meeting.

Note: Sometimes it might turn out that the people you need are in a different time zone which either means changing working hours or deciding to do things asynchronously.

Prerequisite 2: People You Need Help From Are Active Thinkers

People can be put on a spectrum of active or reflective thinkers. Active thinkers need to speak to think and love live discussions, while reflective thinkers need time on their own in quiet to think. Showcasing a problem during a call to a reflective thinker might not be efficient.

Before I schedule a meeting I ask the people I need help from if they prefer to do this async or through a meeting. Otherwise you risk the meeting becoming just a way of conveying the problem while the person that can help prefers to give you the solution asynchronously.

Note: This can also be managed by facilitating a meeting in a way that gives some space and quiet to reflective thinkers, allowing them to contribute.

Conclusions

Synchronous meetings may allow you to reach a conclusion faster, but to get that benefit it’s worth making sure that:

  1. The right people are in the meeting (e.g. people who will be able to help, not just forward you to someone else)
  2. The people in the meeting are active thinkers or the meeting is facilitated in a way that allows reflective thinkers to contribute