Sync Work: Understanding Synchronous Work
A work style requiring team members to be online and available at the same time for real-time communication, typically through video calls, phone calls, or instant messaging.
Sync work (synchronous work) is a collaboration style where team members communicate in real-time, requiring everyone to be present and available simultaneously. This includes video calls, phone conversations, live chat, and in-person meetings. While sync work enables immediate feedback and faster decision-making in certain situations, it contrasts with async work, which allows team members to contribute on their own schedules. Most remote teams use a blend of both, reserving sync time for high-value interactions while handling routine communication asynchronously.
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When Sync is Necessary
While async-first cultures reduce unnecessary meetings, certain situations genuinely benefit from real-time communication:
Emergencies and incidents - When systems are down or urgent problems arise, real-time coordination through war rooms or incident channels enables faster resolution than waiting for async responses.
Creative brainstorming - Rapid idea exchange, building on each other’s thoughts, and the energy of collaborative ideation often work better in live sessions where momentum can build naturally.
Relationship building - Initial team bonding, one-on-ones, and building trust with new colleagues benefit from face-to-face (or video) interaction where tone and body language are visible.
Complex negotiations - Salary discussions, contract negotiations, and resolving interpersonal conflicts require the nuance and immediate back-and-forth that only sync communication provides.
Onboarding and training - New team members often learn faster with live Q&A sessions and screen-sharing walkthroughs, supplemented by async documentation for reference.
The Cost of Too Much Sync
Organizations that over-rely on synchronous communication face significant drawbacks:
Meeting fatigue - Back-to-back video calls lead to exhaustion, decreased engagement, and burnout. “Zoom fatigue” became a widely recognized phenomenon as remote work expanded, with research showing video calls are more cognitively demanding than in-person meetings.
Timezone exclusion - When sync is the default, team members in non-overlapping timezones are either excluded from decisions or forced into meetings during their nights or early mornings, leading to inequity and attrition.
Shallow work dominance - Calendars fragmented by meetings leave only small windows for deep, focused work. Knowledge workers often report that their most productive hours come outside of standard meeting times.
Decision bottlenecks - When decisions require “getting everyone in a room,” progress stalls waiting for calendar availability. Async decision-making frameworks can move faster for routine choices.
Documentation gaps - Sync-heavy teams often fail to document decisions, leading to institutional knowledge loss and repeated discussions when new members join.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much sync time is too much for remote teams?
While it varies by role, many productivity experts suggest limiting recurring meetings to 10-15 hours per week maximum for individual contributors. If more than 50% of someone's week is spent in meetings, they likely lack sufficient time for focused work. Track meeting load across your team and survey for meeting fatigue regularly.
Can a fully remote team operate with zero sync communication?
While theoretically possible, most successful remote teams maintain some sync time for relationship building, complex discussions, and team cohesion. Fully async teams like early Automattic or Doist still held occasional sync sessions. The goal isn't eliminating sync entirely but being intentional about when it adds value versus defaulting to it unnecessarily.
How do I convince my manager that we need fewer meetings?
Track your time for two weeks, showing hours in meetings versus focused work. Propose specific meetings to replace with async alternatives (status updates via written posts, for example). Suggest a trial period of async-first practices with clear metrics. Frame it around outcomes and productivity rather than personal preference.
What tools support better sync/async balance?
Loom or similar tools for async video updates, Notion or Confluence for written documentation, Slack with clear response-time expectations, and calendar tools like Clockwise that protect focus time. The tool matters less than establishing clear norms about when each communication mode is appropriate.