In the realm of web development, staying ahead requires not just talent but also a seamlessly synchronized team. At Reaktiv, we’ve been perfecting the art of asynchronous collaboration since long before remote work became the norm. We are constantly iterating on our processes, and have curated a toolkit that blends productivity tools with team-building platforms. Join us as we unveil the gears that keep our enterprise-level WordPress projects rolling smoothly in the world of asynchronous work.
Collaborating Together
Everything we do is rooted in collaboration, and we make sure we have the right tools for the task. In our day to day, the tools we utilize are as important as all of the work we use them for. We strive to work well as a team, but we also prioritize being fully transparent and collaborative partners with all of our clients. We have tried out a variety of apps, but our secret sauce is made up of the following:
Asana
Task management is a breeze with Asana. We have changed the way that we use it repeatedly, and it always handles whatever we throw at it. The ability to integrate our clients and members from outside of our company allows our projects to have true teamwork and clarity across our priorities as we work together.
Notion
Last year, we began implementing Notion to house all of our documentation, both internal and external. Like Asana, it allows us to invite our clients into their designated spaces, ensuring that records and documentation remain well-organized and easily accessible for both our team and any other stakeholders. We regularly use it for technical documents, decision logs, training summaries, and much more.
Slack
Maybe a predictable tool, but a good one nonetheless! We use this for all internal communication, and a lot of client communication takes place in shared spaces as well. We frequently take advantage of the huddle feature, finding it useful to pop into quick chats to help each other out or just work alongside each other for a while.
Connecting Together
Even in an asynchronous work world, sometimes we need to meet face to face. We use a number of tools to virtually get together:
Zoom
Another classic app, but an essential one for all internal and external meetings. We also use Zoom to hold weekly L10 meetings, which have become an essential part of the way we brainstorm and iterate upon our processes. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t use Zoom for fun! We have a weekly “Random at Reaktiv” meeting where we talk about anything and everything, from crafts to movies to our favorite way to prepare pasta or peel an orange.
Canopy
This is a fun slack bot that lets us ask questions that get posed to the team once a week and then all of the answers get posted in the general channel. We have learned a lot about each other this way, from guilty pleasure songs to favorite trivia to what film we would choose for a Reaktiv movie night. It also lets us give each other “shout outs” to appreciate team members helping each other out, as well as helping organize 1:1 meetings and tracking agendas along with associated action items.
Gather.town
This is one we haven’t used in a while, but one that we should consider bringing back! This website lets you create avatars in a virtual space, very reminiscent of an online game, and hang out as if we were in an office together (even if some of us are still sometimes in our pajamas). When we tried it, we had a great time decorating our “workspace” for the Christmas season, and utilizing office spaces where we could go in and talk to each other on a call without interrupting the others.
Unwinding Together
As the classic saying reminds us, all work and no play is not the Reaktiv way. When we take time to relax together, you can bet we’re all smiling online.
Donut
This is a really nifty slack bot that takes everyone from a dedicated slack channel and groups them into pairs once a week to meet for a 30 minute zoom just to chat. Think of it like grabbing coffee together between meetings; sometimes we’ll even take these casual conversations on the go, opting for a walk on a nice day or a quick jaunt to a nearby store to pick up lunch. It lets us get to know each other outside of the technical jargon, and really helps cement our collaborative chemistry.
Skribbl
AKA virtual scrabble! Once in a while we like to pull this one out and go head to head in our artistic ways. Is that a horse? A tornado? We take turns drawing and guessing in chat, and never make it through a session without bursting into laughs at least once.
Turntable
Every Friday we get together with a smile, a focus, and a musical theme. This immersive app lets you (virtually) jam together in a venue, complete with dancing and show lights. Anyone can line up to be a “DJ”, and add songs to their own queue to be played for everyone in the room. The rest sit back, enjoy the music, and get some work done. We often do this while in a Slack huddle and our cameras on, so we can see each other’s smiling faces and get the full effect of a jam session.
—
As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of asynchronous work, our toolkit at Reaktiv continues to evolve and adapt. Along the way, we’ve learned the key to successful asynchronous work lies not just in the tools we use, but in the relationships we build and the moments we share together, whether discussing a project or unwinding with a virtual game.
If you’re looking to elevate your projects with a partner who values communication, transparency, and productivity, we’re here for you. Let’s turn your ideas into reality together.
