Making asynchronous work feel human

GitHub's engineering culture has been distributed for years, long before the current wave of remote work forced teams everywhere to adapt. Many of the practices that have developed there — particularly around communication — translate well to any organization, regardless of the tools in use.

Ben Balter, Senior Product Manager at GitHub, has worked remotely for seven years. He describes GitHub's communication style as "asynchronous," a term that means more than just "not in real time."

What asynchronous really means

For GitHub, async communication is defined by open source workflows, where collaborators are rarely in the same place at the same time. This style is partly a necessity for a distributed organization, but it also produces better outcomes, much as distributed encyclopedia editions improved on their traditional counterparts.

Tools like Slack and Google Docs remove the "you had to be there" aspect of collaboration. They also reduce the administrative overhead of capturing, collecting, and sharing information between teams. But the best tools are useless without the right social norms. Async communication lets people focus on outputs rather than inputs, which is especially valuable for those juggling childcare, healthcare, and other errands while working from home.

When a synchronous conversation is the right call

Some discussions need real-time interaction. For design feedback or brainstorms, high-fidelity tools like Zoom or Teams are extremely valuable — feedback is inherently human and deserves a human face. Use them for small groups, one-on-one check-ins, and situations where you need to see body language and tone.

But the async principle still applies: post something before a synchronous conversation so people have time to digest and reflect, and post afterward to memorialize outcomes. Different people consume information differently, so give them the space to do it on their own schedule.

Providing feedback that moves things forward

When many people have access to a document, the temptation is to comment on everything. Avoid that. Three practices keep feedback useful.

First, avoid drive-by opinions. Think about where you can have the most impact, and skip commenting on issues that are fringe to your expertise, especially when you lack full context or can't follow through.

Second, only comment if you're adding something to the discussion. It's fine to show you've reviewed a change with a single 👍, but piling another 👍 onto a thread that already has ten is noise. Unless your post moves the issue closer to resolution, don't hit send.

Third, always provide context. Messages labeled "a few edits" or "minor improvements" force teammates to decode what changed and why. When bringing someone into a discussion (particularly as an FYI), absorb the complexity on their behalf and make clear what action, if any, is expected of them.

Rethinking chat etiquette

One convention that doesn't translate well from in-person work is the polite preamble. Starting a chat with "Hi" and waiting for a reply before asking your question, or saying "Hey, do you have a sec?" only adds friction. In async tools, just ask the question. It's faster for you and lets the other person manage their schedule.

Private direct messages should also be used sparingly. A question sent to a shared channel with an @mention not only reaches the intended person, but becomes visible to anyone else who might know the answer. That approach captures organizational knowledge openly and benefits others who may have the same question in the future.

Using emoji with intent

Capturing tone in text isn't as hard as people think. Emoji and GIFs are efficient carriers of emotional context — a 😥 often expresses sadness more quickly than a written sentence, and 🎉 can celebrate work without a paragraph. The point is to be human and sincere. At GitHub, the saying goes: "Mind your words, they're important."

Practical setup advice

After years of remote work, one piece of equipment advice rises to the top: invest in a good microphone and lighting. Your voice and face are your primary presence to the world. A world clock showing the timezones your team works in is also a small reminder to be considerate of other people's hours.