The problem I've had with async updates is that they often get ignored because everyone that could help is busy at the time, so you still need the actual standup to just remind them about it. How do you get around this?
Re:Hard deadlines are not user-first
by ryanbrunner on Thursday January 02, 2020 @08:53AM
(#21935322)
I don't have a great solution for that, really, other than ensuring that updates are highly visible in a room where people are likely to read them and have a good culture around helping folks.
I've been in environments like the one you describe, and I think at the end of the day it's more of a cultural issue than something that can be solved using a tool.
this ^^^^^^^^^^^
I get around it by pinging people directly (usually I reply to my question as a thread in Slack and @-mention them, so the main channel doesn't get cluttered with my reminder) if a couple hours go by without a response. Still usually faster than waiting until the next day to ask at standup.
Another plus for me personally is that it has a focusing effect on myself as a developer - if I say I'm going to get something done in standup, I'm going to force myself to focus on that task, and not get distracted by something else unless it's really important. I can see how that's a totally personal thing though - I need to have some sort of external "deadline", even if it's self-imposed and soft, to keep me focused.
All of the above can be solved with async updates in Slack though, and that's probably actually a better medium. Having folks get in the same room seems a little pointless to me, especially when you have remote folks and timezones are an issue.