Remote work has opened up amazing opportunities for companies to tap into global talent pools and expand into new markets. But managing communication across a global workforce can be tricky, especially when team members are spread out across different time zones. In fact, a recent study by Harvard Business School found that even a one-hour time zone difference can reduce real-time communication by 11%. That figure might not sound like much, but it can quickly add up and cause delays and confusion.
Luckily, there’s a way to fix this. With a solid asynchronous communication policy, you can set clear guidelines for how your team communicates and collaborates in a way that respects everyone’s schedule. It’s all about helping your team stay connected without the stress of constant check-ins or late-night messages.
In this article, we’ll tell you why you need a global asynchronous communication framework and explain how you can create your own policy using our free template as a base.
What’s an asynchronous communication policy?
Let’s start today’s guide with a quick rundown of the basics. What is an asynchronous communication policy?
Essentially, this type of internal policy explains how teams should communicate when not everyone is online at the same time. “Asynchronous” just means team members can send messages and reply when it works best for them, without the pressure of being online and available all hours of the day. The policy sets clear guidelines for how quickly people should reply, which tools they should use, and how they should stay connected. By following these rules, teams in different time zones can stay on track while everyone works at their own pace.
Why you need an asynchronous communication policy
Remote work brings a lot of flexibility, but it can also make communication harder. So much so that a recent survey found that 36% of employees feel that remote work negatively impacts collaboration and 20% of remote workers claim to struggle with time zone issues. This often leaves people feeling disconnected and out of the loop.
When your team is spread across different time zones, staying connected becomes even harder. Team members are always juggling schedules, and this can lead to long waits for replies. Things start to move slower, decisions take longer, and frustration builds up. Collaboration becomes a challenge, and team members find themselves left out of important conversations or decisions.
An asynchronous communication policy can help you create a work environment where collaboration is easier, workflows run smoother, and everyone can manage their time better. Asynchronous communication lets people focus on their work while still staying connected to the team’s goals.
It’s not just about fixing communication issues right now; it’s about building a more connected, collaborative team that can thrive in a remote environment.
Key benefits
Here are some of the most significant benefits of creating an asynchronous communication policy in your organization:
- Minimize delays in decision-making. No more waiting around for replies. Asynchronous communication keeps work moving, even if your team is scattered across different time zones.
- Break down information silos. Centralized updates and conversations help keep everyone in the loop.
- Encourage equal participation. Giving people the chance to share their thoughts in their own time creates space for everyone to contribute, not just the loudest voices.
- Improve focus and productivity. Without constant interruptions, your team can respond calmly and thoughtfully instead of rushing to keep up with real-time conversations.
- Scale easily with growing teams. As your team grows, this approach makes it easier to stay connected, however far apart everyone is spread.
Key components of an asynchronous communication policy
Let’s take a look now at the key components of an asynchronous communication policy so you can build one that works for your team. We’ve included these sections in our free template, which we’ll talk about in more detail later in the post.
Scope
Ok, let’s start with the scope. This part is all about making it clear who this policy applies to and what kind of communication it covers. Keep this section simple so there’s no confusion.
For example:
This policy applies to all full-time and part-time employees, contractors, freelancers and interns. It covers all forms of asynchronous communication, including project updates, feedback sharing, decision-making and collaboration.
Guidelines
Next, let’s get into the guidelines. This section of your communication policy is where you’ll explain how your team should share updates, ask for feedback and stay on track, even when everyone’s not online at the same time.
We’ve broken this section down into three key areas in our asynchronous communication policy template so it’s easy for your team to follow: ethos, logistics and communication style.
Ethos
Ethos is all about the values that shape how your team communicates. This is where you set the tone, making sure that all internal communication is open, clear and inclusive. It’s about encouraging everyone to share enough information, keep things organized, and provide the right context so no one’s left guessing or confused about what’s going on.
For example:
- Share updates often, be clear about expectations, and explain what the next steps are so everyone knows what’s going on and what they need to do.
- Give enough background when you share information or make requests, so no one’s left asking for more details.
Logistics
This is where you’ll explain which tools your team should use for different tasks and when they should use them. This is especially important for remote teams because, unlike the office where casual chats happen naturally, remote work makes it easy to miss messages that slip through the cracks if you’re not interacting regularly.
For example:
“Use Slack for quick updates, casual chats or easy questions. Use email for more formal messages or important decisions that need to be in writing. Use Jira to keep updates in one place, so it’s easy for everyone to access.”
Communication style
This final part of this section is about making sure your team communicates in a way that’s clear and easy to understand. This is really important when you’re working with a global team because English might not be everyone’s first language. You want everyone’s messages to be simple and to the point, while still providing enough detail so that everyone fully understands what’s being asked or shared.
For example:
- Keep your messages clear, simple and direct.
- Avoid jargon and use plain language that everyone can understand.
- Break down complex ideas into bullet points or short paragraphs to make them easier to read and follow.
Vibes
This is where you’ll share what employees should keep in mind when they communicate with their colleagues. This includes being polite, friendly and respectful, and making sure the tone stays positive. It’s important to mention this because it helps create a welcoming culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts. In other words, it’s about nurturing the specific atmosphere you want to create in your organization, where open communication thrives and everyone feels respected and included.
Here’s an example of what you might say here:
- Be kind and respectful in your messages.
- Since it’s easy for tone to get lost in writing, try to keep things friendly and clear.
- Keep it positive, even if you’re talking about something tricky, and always be open to feedback.
Do’s and Don’ts
Finally, wrapping up your communication policy with a simple “Do’s and Don’ts” section is a great way to reinforce your main points and make expectations crystal clear for everyone. This section can also be a quick, visual reference for your team, keeping things simple so everyone knows what’s what.
Here’s an example of what you might say here:
Do:
- Keep messages clear and concise.
- Share important updates with everyone who needs to know.
- Use shared tools like Slack or Google Docs to keep information easy to find.
Don’t:
- Don’t leave people guessing. Always provide enough context.
- Don’t send long, confusing messages that are hard to follow.
- Don’t ignore others’ feedback or messages.
Tips to improve your policies
When you’re creating your global asynchronous communication policy, make sure it’s clear, simple to follow, and easy to find. We can’t stress enough how important this is if you’re managing a global team. With members spread across different time zones, cultures and languages, the only way to keep everyone on the same page is through clear communication and easy access to the right information.
Here are some simple tips to help you out with this:
- Stick to bullet points: Long paragraphs can be a bit much for most people. Bullet points help break things down and let people get to the key info quickly.
- Add visuals: Images, infographics or tables can make things more engaging and easier to digest.
- Keep it simple: Use clear, straightforward language. It’s best to keep things easy to understand, especially for a global team with different language backgrounds.
- Break up long sections: If there’s a lot of detail, use dropdowns or collapsible sections so people can focus on what’s important.
- Make it easy to find: If your team can’t find the policy, they won’t use it. Make sure it’s stored somewhere everyone can easily access, like a shared drive or a company portal.
- Offer different formats: Not everyone likes reading PDFs. Offer the policy in different formats, like a webpage or printed handbook.
- Promote it internally: Don’t just leave the policy sitting there. Talk about it in meetings, mention it in newsletters and share reminders in team chats. The more people hear about it, the more likely they are to engage with it.
How to create your own asynchronous communication policy
We get it. Reading through long, complicated documents isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. Creating an asynchronous communication policy doesn’t have to be a chore, though. The key is to keep things clear and simple, so everyone knows exactly what to do and feels confident using the policy without any confusion.
So, how do you create a global asynchronous communication policy that works? Start by building a strong foundation with the sections we shared above. Make sure you clearly define the scope, set guidelines that everyone can follow, and establish the right tools and communication channels for your team. And don’t forget to follow the tips we shared to boost readability and distribution.
To make things even easier, you can use our free, customizable asynchronous communication policy template. We’ve taken everything you’ve learned today and packed it into a ready-to-use template, so you don’t have to start from scratch. It covers all the essentials, like choosing the right communication tools, setting response times and creating a communication style that suits your team. By using this template, you can save time, avoid the guesswork and quickly create a communication policy that keeps your global team aligned and on track, without reinventing the wheel.
Check out our templates for virtual meeting etiquette and travel and expense too. And don’t miss our global workforce playbook to better understand the global workforce management insights that informed our policy templates.
