Async is a writing skill more than a scheduling one.
The message format
1. What you need, in the first line
2. The context needed to answer it
3. What you have already tried or ruled out
4. When you need it by
Prevent the round trip
Every question you leave implicit costs a full timezone cycle. Before sending, reread and ask: could someone answer this without replying to ask me something?
Default to public channels
A question answered in a channel is answered once for everyone. The same question in a private message is answered repeatedly, and the reasoning disappears.
Common questions
What makes async communication fail?
Messages that need clarification. Each round trip can cost a day when timezones do not overlap.
Should I use chat or documents?
Chat for quick unblocking, documents for anything that will matter next month. Decisions belong in documents.