What is an Asynchronous Meeting?

When we think of meetings we think of people sitting around a table (web conference, etc.) at the same time. The Chair controls who can speak and only one person can speak at a time. This would be a Synchronous Meeting.

So what is an Asynchronous Meeting?

If synchronous means that everyone needs to be together at the same time and only one person can speak at a time, then asynchronous must mean the they don’t all need to be together at the same time, and anyone can speak whenever they want.

“Asynchronous communications can be sent at any time without regard to whether or not the receiver is ready. For example, an email is asynchronous.

Synchronous communication is a term for time-dependent communications such as a telephone call whereby parties to communication need to be available at the same time.”

“What is Asynchronous Communication?”, John Spacey, Simplicable, December 28, 2016 https://simplicable.com/new/asynchronous-communication

As John Spacey points out email is asynchronous, so it makes sense that an asynchronous meeting could be an email meeting.

But email is a discussion, not a meeting.

And that’s where LORROS comes in. LORROS is built around the principles of Robert’s Rules of Order so that the meeting has a conventional structure. The discussion is transmitted by email and contained in a standard meeting format within LORROS.

LORROS Meetings are designed to span multiple days so everyone doesn’t have to be together at the same time, in other words … asynchronous.

LORROS Meetings can also be used in conjunction with (and improve) ‘live’ synchronous meetings by starting a day (or more) before the live meeting and extending a day after.