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Running remote and hybrid teams, one habit at a time

Async standup template and how to run one without the nagging

·4 mins
Meetings Async Standup Standups Remote Meetings Templates
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A live standup across four time zones means somebody is always on the call at 7am or 8pm. An async standup swaps the call for a short written update that everyone posts inside a window, then reads when it suits them. Done well, it takes each person three minutes. Done badly, it becomes a daily diary nobody opens.

The format is not sacred. Even the Scrum Guide, which defines the Daily Scrum as a 15-minute event, says the developers can pick whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as the focus stays on progress towards the goal. So you have permission to change the questions.

Why the classic three questions fall flat

“What did you do yesterday, what will you do today, any blockers?” works in a room because people interrupt each other. Written down, it tends to produce lists of tasks that nobody can act on. Two small changes fix most of it:

  • Ask about outcomes, not activity. “Shipped the pricing page copy” beats “worked on pricing page”.
  • Separate “blocked” from “could use help”. A hard blocker needs someone today. A nice-to-have can wait for whoever has a spare half hour.

If your team already writes things down well, the standup can be very short. If it doesn’t, start with our async communication rules before adding another ritual.

The template

Four prompts, each one line if possible:

  1. Done since last update: one to three outcomes, linked where you can.
  2. Next: what you expect to finish before your next update.
  3. Blocked: anything that stops you today, with a named person if you know who can unblock it.
  4. Heads-up (optional): time off, a late start, a risk you can see coming.

That’s it. No mood scores, no emoji rituals unless your team actually likes them.

A filled-in example

Here’s what a good update looks like for a marketing ops lead in Lisbon:

Done: Webinar landing page live (link). Sent speaker brief to the two guests. Next: Draft follow-up email sequence, three emails. Blocked: Need final recording date from @Priya to schedule the reminder emails. Heads-up: Off Friday afternoon for a dentist appointment.

Notice what it doesn’t contain: meetings attended, inbox counts, a list of every small task. If the reader can’t act on a line, it can go.

How to run it

Pick one place. A dedicated channel or a single thread per day in your chat tool. If you’re still choosing tools, our async communication tools round-up groups the options by job. A bot that posts the prompt is handy but not required; a pinned message works fine.

Set a posting window, not a time. For example, “post by noon your local time”. Teams spread across many zones can use “within your first two working hours”. Our guide to remote team communication strategies covers setting overlap hours if you need them.

Agree who reads and when. The lead (or whoever runs the board) reads every update once a day and replies to blockers first. Everyone else skims for their name. Without this, blockers sit unanswered and people stop posting them.

Reply in threads. Discussion goes under the update, not in the main channel. If a thread passes about five replies, move it to a quick call or a doc.

Handle blockers the same day. The person tagged replies with an answer or a time they will have one. If nobody is tagged, the lead assigns it. This is the part that makes async standups worth doing.

Common ways it goes wrong

  • Updates become performance reviews. People pad their lists when they feel watched. Keep the format short and never use standup history as evidence in a review conversation.
  • Nobody reads them. Fix by naming a reader. If even the reader skips them, the ritual isn’t earning its keep.
  • Long updates. Set a soft cap (four lines) and model it yourself.
  • Missing updates. A gentle nudge once is fine. Repeated misses are usually a sign the update feels pointless, which is worth a conversation, not a reminder bot. Our piece on managing remote teams without micromanaging goes into that.

When to drop it

Try it for four weeks, then ask the team two things: did blockers get cleared faster, and does anyone read other people’s updates? If both answers are no, cut it back to twice a week or replace it with a weekly written plan. A standup that exists because standups exist is just admin.

Copy this into your channel 

ASYNC STANDUP (post within your first two working hours)

Done since last update:
- 

Next (before my next update):
- 

Blocked (who can help?):
- 

Heads-up (optional: time off, risks, late start):
- 

Rules
1. Four lines is plenty. Outcomes, not activity.
2. Tag the person who can unblock you.
3. Discussion goes in the thread. Over five replies, take it to a call.
4. [Lead name] reads every update daily and answers blockers first.
5. We review this format after four weeks.