UnSync Meetings

^{thanks to Sam Curren for suggesting this}

Meetings are expensive, especially if we are only interested or needed for a small slice of them.

Async interactions are cheaper and more flexible. We love the way we can tolerate remote work and different timezones. However, they lack the focus and rhythm of traditional get-togethers. They're easy to ignore or procrastinate. We have scheduling conflicts. Sometimes, these are big disadvantages.

An UnSync Meeting is a hybrid that delivers most of the benefits of both. The name is intended to suggest something that's NOT a traditional synchronous interaction, but that DOES sync people up. :-)

How They Work

1. Assign a host.
2. Choose a start time, a chat channel, and a duration. Unlike normal meetings, the duration can be quite long (e.g., 4-12 hours); participants only show up for a tiny slice of it. This is great for round-the-world audiences.
3. Decide on a method and timeframe for voting and tabulation.
4. Build an agenda:
   • If an item needs action, propose assignments.
   • If an item needs follow-up, ask for a report.
   • If an item needs a decision, propose votable choices.
   • If an item needs feedback or brainstorming, note that it should be discussed in chat.
   • If an item concerns only a subset of the attendees, say who.
   • If an item needs info, link to recorded video presentations or to other supporting materials.
5. Invite people to attend at any time after the start time and before the duration ends. This is the time that the meeting is "open".
6. At the start time, the host shows up and (re-)shares the agenda.
7. While the meeting is open, participants come and go at their convenience.
8. When the meeting duration is past, the host announces its closure and curates the results.

Participant Duties

1. Identify a slot during the time when the meeting will be open, and block it out on your calendar so you have a protected slice of time to attend.
2. Announce your presence on the chat channel. This is important for accountability and to judge whether votes and silence are meaningful.
3. Read the agenda.
4. Consume info on relevant items.
5. Give feedback on chat.
6. Volunteer for and/or accept assignments.
7. Vote.

In an UnSync, it's vital that you participate actively, using the agenda and the tools as intended. Nobody else will carry the meeting if you zone out.