Before you start messaging people or in a channel in Slack, remember the following to help determine the best use of our communication platform.
TL;DR:
- Keep conversations relevant to the channel
- Use Threads and Posts to keep channels organized
- Don't "Slack Bomb" in DMs. Each message sends a notification.
- Use Mentions sparingly. @here and @name should be used when attention is required immediately. Most questions can be posed and reacted to timely without a mention.
- Acknowledge messages. If you are too busy to fulfill a request let others know.
- Use Statuses. This way people will know when and why you are not replying.
- Use Do Not Disturb to stay focused on a task at hand, meeting, or just busy day.
- Praise publicly, criticize privately. You can always reach out to leadership too.
- Last but not least. Know when it's time to stop Slacking and start Calling.
Mind the Channel's Purpose
Each channel should have a stated purpose. This is the reason it exists, and it defines the type of information that should be shared in the channel. It is okay to go off-topic sometimes, but if the discussion drags on, that means it is time to move it over to #random or #petsofrealgeeks.
Don't Bloat the Channel
The purpose of maintaining specific channels is to make information easy to find, and to help keep the conversations within easy to follow. However, information can still get lost within a channel. Because conversations can become very lengthy, with a lot of back and forth between team members, you might find yourself scrolling for the information you need—which can be very frustrating if you are in a time crunch.
If you have a lot of information to share, try placing it in a Post instead. Slack imposes a character limit for a reason, and it can feel overwhelming to see a very long message in Slack. Posts are also easy to Pin for future reference. More information on Posts can be found here: https://slack.com/help/articles/203950418-Use-posts-in-Slack.
Use Threads
You can use threads to help organize conversations and declutter a channel. Consider using a thread when answering questions so that the channel stays clean, and the information is easy to find and respond to. This also helps searching for past conversations as all information is in one place.
Don't Slack Bomb
While no one likes to see giant messages in Slack, it is also important not to “Slack Bomb”. Slack Bombing is when you send a multitude of short messages in a row that do not convey any information.
For example, poking an unresponsive teammate can quickly turn into Slack Bombing:
Hey! (1 sec ago)
You there? (1 sec ago)
Busy? (1 sec ago)
Chances are, Slack will notify that person with a private notification for each and every message you send. Remember, your team members have deliverables and meetings. They may be busy and trying to focus. Try to send only one message.
Example:
Hey, I’m looking for this file, and was wondering if you knew where it was? Let’s chat when you’re free.
Use Mentions Mindfully
Slack will notify someone every time you mention them (or when you mention @here). Before you mention someone, make sure that you want that person to act on something, and make it clear what that is.
For example, when someone asks whether a task is being worked on, you might respond with:
Don’t worry, @Steve is on it, and we already met to discuss.
There are a couple of ways to improve this response. First, if you are going to mention anyone, it should probably be the person asking the question. Second, every person mentioned will be get a notification, but Steve—who is "already on it"—probably does not need to informed again. It is not respectful to pull them into a conversation for no reason.
Additionally, only @here if everyone needs to know and react immediately! Otherwise, consider posing the question within the channel for a team member to respond without a notification.
Generally speaking, try to limit notifications that do not require a response. If you are using a mention, be aware of what action you want the recipient to take.
Acknowledge Messages & Requests
We get it: you’re busy! You get a notification on Slack, and you decide to use the Reminder feature to review in a few hours. Now it’s out of your mind until then. But the person who is requesting the work doesn’t know you’re planning to review it later.
Instead of snoozing on the message and making the sender feel ignored, it is good practice to tell them you’ve read the message and let them know when you’ll be addressing it. Even if you don’t know the answer, a simple “I’m not sure, but I’ll look into it after my meeting” is likely all that they need. They want to feel heard, and to know their ask won’t be forgotten.
If you are a person of few words, or are extremely busy, another option is to use reactions/emoticons. This will let them know you’ve read their message. It isn’t quite as nice as identifying a time frame to respond, but at least they know you are not ignoring them.
Use Statuses
Slack has a Status feature that allows you to insert a message and add an emoji beside your name to let your team know what you’re up to. These help to manage expectations, and ensure some transparency when not everyone is "in the office".
Not sure how to use your statuses? If you’re on your way to work throw on “🚎 Commuting”. That way, if you’re late, people will know you didn’t just sleep in. You can also use them when stepping out for lunch, jumping on a client call or when you’re in a meeting. When you use your statuses like this, it lets your team members know WHY you’re not responding.
The use of statuses is even more important if you have any remote staff, both for the people in the office, but also the remote workers. The remote worker can’t get up and look to see if someone is at their desk. They also can’t hear that someone’s on a client call in a nearby room. Additionally, people in the office can’t see whether the remote worker sitting at their desk, or “🐕 Walking the Dog”.
Use the 'Do Not Disturb' Feature when Trying to Complete Time Sensitive Work
Earlier in this article we asked people not to “Slack Bomb”, or @mention someone without a specific request. We also suggested the use of statuses for transparency and expectation management. Not everyone will follow these tips all the time. So, when you need to stay focused, we suggest using the Snooze function.
Sometimes you need to really focus for tasks; work that requires concentration, no distractions and some serious time to focus! And the last thing you want while working on this deep work is to be pulled out of the zone by non-urgent Slack messages. Slack includes a Do Not Disturb feature that is active by default so that you don’t receive notifications outside of working hours. But you can turn this on at anytime. You can even snooze your notifications for 20 minutes or an hour while you’re getting some work done.
When you use the Snooze Notifications feature on Slack, it’s best to couple it with a status like “⏰ Working on a Deadline” so people understand WHY you’re ignoring them.
Please note that people can choose to push a notification to you while on Do Not Disturb incase it is urgent.
Praise Publicly, Criticize Privately
Constructive criticism and feedback in the office is important. It helps with the growth of our team and bettering the product. But it is just as important to handle this delicately. A public forum is not really the right place for this.
Never criticize someone in a public Slack channel! It’s not just poor Slack Etiquette; public criticism can be disrespectful offline, as well. Feedback and criticism should be done one-on-one. This can be in a private message, over a call, or face-to-face.
Criticizing or giving someone negative feedback in public can feel demeaning. Some people can feel very embarrassed if they are criticized in a public forum, no matter how good-hearted it was intended to be. It does not just affect that person’s morale; it can also affect the team’s morale to see a team member called out publicly.
On the flip side of this, share the praise publicly! It is important to share praise publicly when hyping up your team members. Sometimes a project only requires a small team of 1-2 people, and it’s hard for the rest of the office to appreciate their work when they are not directly involved. So when you are able to share a team members success with the company, they know they are appreciated!
Know When to Communicate Over a Video Call or In-Person
Slack is not ideal for every conversation. A simple rule I have gone by to help determine whether something should be communicated over Slack is this:
If a response requires 1 sentence = Slack/Email
If a response requires 3+ sentences = Video Call/Meeting
The more complicated an issue, the better it is to be communicated verbally, either with a call, or walking over to someone’s desk to talk in person.
Additionally, the more sensitive a topic, the better to discuss it offline. For example, one-on-ones or meetings for feedback should be verbal, in person or over a video call.