Say it like this
- We switched to async standups last month to reduce meeting overhead.
- Can you post your async standup update in the #standup channel?
- Async standups work much better for our remote-first culture.
Use it at work
Setting it up
- Let's switch to an async standup in Slack.
- Post your async standup by 10 a.m. your time.
Writing your update
- Yesterday: finished the login fix. Today: start on billing. Blockers: none.
- Async standup: still on the migration, blocked on DB access.
Following up
- I saw your async standup. I can help with that blocker.
- A few people missed the async standup today.
Don't say this
Async standups are not meetings; they are written updates. A meeting is synchronous and requires everyone present.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| async standup | Written daily update | Each team member | Posted any time in the day |
| daily scrum | Live 15-minute team meeting | The whole team | Same time every day |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your manager asks about your progress. You are in a distributed team. What do you say?
2. We use _______ because our team is spread across three continents.
3. Which sentence is incorrect?
4. Rewrite using async standup: We used to have a meeting every morning at 9 AM, but now team members just write down what they did and what they are doing.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We switched to async standups last month to reduce meeting overhead."
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More about async standup
Real examples(3)
- in a team Slack channel
"Yesterday I finished the payment module integration. Today I'm working on unit tests. Blocker: waiting for API documentation from the backend team."
- in a manager discussion
"Since we introduced async standups, our team has more focus time and fewer interruptions."
- in onboarding
"New team members should post their async standup every morning before 10 AM local time."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not confuse with a synchronous standup meeting. Async standups are not real-time; they are written updates shared asynchronously across time zones.
- ✕The async standup was very detailed and took two hours to read.✓The async standup updates were too verbose and took too long to read.
Async standups should be brief (2-3 sentences). If they take hours to read, the format is being misused.
- ✕We need to async standup about this issue during our 3 PM call.✓We need to discuss this issue during our 3 PM call.
Async standup is not a verb meaning to discuss. Use it as a noun or the verb form would be posting an async standup.
Other forms(3)
- async standup noun
"I will post my async standup in the shared document."
- async standups noun
"Our async standups have replaced our daily 10 AM meetings."
- post an async standup verb phrase
"Please post your async standup by noon every weekday."
Often used with(4)
- post an async standup · The most common verb phrase used with async standup
- daily async standup · Describes the frequency or regularity of async standup updates
- async standup update · Used to emphasize that it is a status update rather than a meeting
- async standup channel · The Slack, Teams, or other platform location where updates are posted
Similar words(3)
- asynchronous standup · Longer, more formal version of the same term
- async update · More general term; could apply to any asynchronous status update
- written standup · Emphasizes the written nature rather than the asynchronous aspect
Opposites(4)
- synchronous standup
- daily standup
- standup meeting
- live standup
Questions(5)
- What does async standup mean in software engineering?
- An async standup is a written status update posted by team members at their own time, usually daily, instead of meeting synchronously. It typically covers what was completed, what is being worked on, and any blockers or challenges.
- How do you use async standup in a sentence at work?
- You can say sentences like: 'I posted my async standup this morning,' 'We use async standups because we are globally distributed,' or 'Please post your async standup by 10 AM local time.'
- Is async standup formal or informal?
- Async standup is neutral in formality. It is commonly used in informal team Slack channels and formal documentation alike. The tone of the actual standup update can be formal or casual depending on company culture.
- Why do tech teams use async standups?
- Async standups are valuable for distributed teams across time zones because they eliminate scheduling conflicts, reduce meeting fatigue, give people focus time, and maintain transparency without requiring synchronous coordination.
- What is the difference between async standups and daily standups?
- Daily standups are synchronous meetings where the team gathers at the same time. Async standups are written updates posted asynchronously, meaning team members do not need to be present at the same time.
