Meetings are eating into your deep work and draining your team’s energy. Most updates, check-ins, and brainstorms can be handled faster—and better—without a calendar invite. Learn how to shift from default-to-meeting to async-first using tools like Loom, Notion, Slack, and more.
Why Meetings Keep Wasting Your Time
You’ve probably sat through a 30-minute meeting that could’ve been a two-sentence update. Or joined a weekly check-in where half the team zones out, waiting for their turn to speak. It’s not just frustrating—it’s expensive. Every unnecessary meeting chips away at your focus, your energy, and your actual work time.
Let’s say you’re managing a small team. You’ve got a Monday morning status meeting, a Wednesday check-in, and a Friday wrap-up. That’s three hours a week. Multiply that by five team members, and you’re spending 15 hours on meetings that mostly involve updates that could’ve been written down. That’s nearly two full workdays lost—every week.
Here’s what happens when meetings become the default:
- You lose momentum. Every meeting interrupts your flow and forces a reset.
- You spend more time preparing for meetings than doing the work itself.
- You repeat yourself. Updates, decisions, and feedback get rehashed across multiple calls.
- You burn out faster. Constant context switching drains mental energy.
Now imagine this scenario: A product manager schedules a meeting to walk through a new feature. The team joins, listens, asks a few questions, and leaves. But the same walkthrough could’ve been recorded in Loom, shared in Slack, and documented in Notion—saving everyone time and giving them something to revisit later.
Here’s a breakdown of how meetings stack up against async alternatives:
| Task Type | Typical Meeting Time | Async Alternative | Time Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly status update | 30 mins | Slack thread | 25 mins |
| Feature walkthrough | 45 mins | Loom video | 40 mins |
| Project documentation | 60 mins | Notion page | 50 mins |
| Feedback review | 30 mins | Comment in ClickUp | 25 mins |
You’re not just saving time—you’re giving people space to think, respond, and work without interruption.
Here’s what poor meeting habits often look like:
- No clear agenda or outcomes
- Inviting too many people “just in case”
- Using meetings to share information instead of make decisions
- Scheduling meetings because “that’s how we’ve always done it”
And here’s what better looks like:
- You record a Loom video explaining a new idea, and your team watches it when they’re ready.
- You drop a quick update in Slack, and people reply in threads.
- You document decisions in Notion, so no one has to ask, “What did we agree on?”
Tools like Loom, Slack, and Notion aren’t just trendy—they’re practical. They help you shift from live, interruptive conversations to thoughtful, async communication. And when you combine them with platforms like ClickUp or Grain, you can even automate summaries and turn meetings into searchable knowledge—so you don’t have to repeat yourself.
If you’re spending more time talking about work than doing it, it’s time to rethink how you communicate. Meetings aren’t the enemy—but using them for everything is.
When to Meet—and When to Skip It
Not every meeting is a waste. Some conversations need real-time collaboration, emotional nuance, or quick back-and-forth. But most don’t. The problem is that meetings have become the default response to almost any task—updates, feedback, planning, even announcements. You’re probably saying yes to meetings that don’t need you, or scheduling them out of habit.
Here’s a simple way to filter whether a meeting is worth your time:
- Does it require live discussion or decision-making?
- Will it benefit from real-time brainstorming or emotional context?
- Is it faster or clearer than writing it down?
If the answer is no to all three, you’re better off going async.
Let’s break it down:
| Task Type | Best Format | Why It Works Better |
|---|---|---|
| Status updates | Slack thread | Quick, searchable, no interruptions |
| Project planning | Notion doc | Everyone contributes on their own time |
| Feedback/review | ClickUp comments | Context stays with the task |
| Brainstorming | Live meeting | Real-time energy and creativity |
| Announcements | Loom video | Personal, replayable, no scheduling needed |
You don’t need to eliminate meetings entirely. You just need to stop using them as your first move. Think of async as your default, and meetings as your backup.
Tools That Replace Most Meetings (and Do It Better)
You don’t need a dozen tools to fix your calendar. You need a few that do the heavy lifting. The best ones help you communicate clearly, document decisions, and keep work moving—without dragging everyone into a call.
Loom is perfect for quick walkthroughs, updates, and feedback. You record your screen and voice, send the link, and your team watches when they’re ready. It’s faster than writing a long email and more personal than a Slack message.
Slack keeps conversations organized. Use threads for updates, channels for projects, and reactions to acknowledge without clutter. You can even set up async standups with simple prompts like “What did you work on yesterday?” and “What’s next?”
Notion is your team’s shared brain. Use it for meeting notes, project plans, decision logs, and documentation. Instead of repeating yourself in meetings, you write once and share forever.
ClickUp goes beyond task management. You can assign work, leave comments, attach Loom videos, and track progress—all in one place. It’s built for async collaboration.
Grain helps you salvage the meetings you do have. It records, transcribes, and summarizes key moments so you don’t have to rewatch or take notes. You can clip highlights and share them in Slack or Notion.
These tools don’t just save time—they improve clarity. You get fewer interruptions, better documentation, and more thoughtful responses.
How to Shift Your Team to Async Without Pushback
You can’t just tell people to stop meeting. You need to show them a better way. Start small. Pick one recurring meeting and replace it with an async format. Maybe it’s your weekly status update—turn it into a Slack thread or a Notion page.
Give people structure. Use templates, prompts, and deadlines. For example:
- Slack standup: “Yesterday I worked on… Today I’m focused on… Blockers are…”
- Notion update: Use a simple table with columns for task, owner, status, and notes.
- Loom feedback: Record your screen, explain your thoughts, and share the link.
Make it easy to respond. Set expectations like “Reply by 3 PM” or “Review before Friday.” That way, async doesn’t become a black hole.
Celebrate wins. When someone shares a great Loom video or updates a Notion doc instead of scheduling a meeting, highlight it. Show how it saved time and improved clarity.
You don’t need to force adoption. Just lead with better habits. People will follow when they see the results.
Async Hacks That Actually Work
Going async isn’t just about using tools—it’s about changing how you work. Here are a few habits that make it stick:
- Timebox your responses: Don’t wait days to reply. Set a rhythm—daily check-ins, weekly reviews.
- Use video for nuance: If tone matters, record a Loom instead of writing a long message.
- Document everything: Decisions, updates, feedback—put it in Notion or ClickUp so it’s searchable.
- Batch your communication: Set aside time to respond to Slack, review Looms, and update docs. Don’t let async become constant pinging.
- Automate summaries: Use Grain or Notion AI to turn meetings or long docs into digestible highlights.
These habits help you stay focused, reduce noise, and keep your team aligned—without burning hours in meetings.
3 Actionable Takeaways
- Cancel one recurring meeting this week and replace it with a Loom video or Slack thread.
- Create a Notion page for project updates and share it with your team—no more status meetings.
- Use ClickUp to assign tasks and leave comments instead of scheduling feedback calls.
Common Questions About Async Work
How do I know if a meeting should be async? Ask: Does this require live discussion or emotional nuance? If not, go async.
What if my team prefers meetings? Start with one async experiment. Show how it saves time and improves clarity. Let results lead the change.
Can async work for client communication? Yes. Loom videos, Notion docs, and Slack channels can keep clients informed without constant calls.
What if people don’t respond on time? Set clear expectations. Use prompts like “Reply by EOD” or “Review before Friday.” Async needs structure.
Do I need all these tools? No. Start with one—Loom, Slack, or Notion. Use what fits your workflow and scale from there.
Next Steps
- Replace one meeting this week with a Loom video or Notion doc. Start small and measure the time saved.
- Set up a Slack channel for async updates. Use threads and reactions to keep it clean and focused.
- Try ClickUp for task management and feedback. Assign work, leave comments, and track progress—all without meetings.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire workflow overnight. Just start with one change. The goal isn’t fewer meetings—it’s better communication. Async tools help you work smarter, respond thoughtfully, and stay focused.
The real win? You get your time back. You spend less energy on coordination and more on creation. And your team gets clarity, autonomy, and space to do their best work.