Tips for Improving Team Collaboration in Slack

“hi” What if I ended this post there and waited for you to reply to deliver my message? If this was Slack, would you reply "hello" and patiently wait while watching three blinking dots as a I type? Would you ignore it? 🔻 Either way, it kills async productivity. Don't force a synchronous conversation. Instead, put everything in a single message: 🔸 Say "hi" 🔸 Provide context 🔸 Ask a question or inform 🔸 Set expectations on time frame if urgent or not urgent For example: Hi! I hope all is well with you. I noticed that you've been sending simple "hi" messages on Slack. I have been ignoring these messages. Sometimes I might add a hand wave emoji, but I won't reply. It might seem rude to ignore a "hello" because it would be if we were talking in person. In person, saying "hi" without any additional context is completely fine. However, in an asynchronous work environment like ours, it's more effective if we provide context when initiating a conversation. This allows for more focused and efficient communication. When we receive a notification on Slack without much content, it interrupts whatever we're doing. Then we either wait for the next message, or switch back to our task and get interrupted again later. Both scenarios are less than ideal for productivity. Please don't hesitate to reach out with your questions or comments — that's what I'm here for. When you do, it would be great if you include some context and indicate the urgency in the initial message. If it's not urgent, I'll set a reminder to respond when I'm able to. This approach works well for me, and I encourage you to try it too. Thanks for understanding, and I believe this will help make our interactions more productive! There's no need to reply to this message unless you want to — just something to consider for future conversations. For more on this topic, you might find this link interesting: https://nohello.net/ P.S. This goes doubly for LinkedIn DMs

I was supposed to be the CEO building a billion-dollar venture studio. Supporting my partners, solving problems, and helping them scale. Instead, I got caught up in the day-to-day of my companies. I was being ineffective. Working in the businesses instead of on them. So I changed it. And now I’m a better resource for my partners and in my zone of genius. Here’s how: – 1. Ruthlessly cut calendar I worked with my amazing assistant, Patricia, to move all meetings to Mondays and Fridays. I truly believe that with a structured and focused 1-on-1 meeting, you can solve anything. Anything that didn’t contribute to the goals at GatewayX or my portfolio companies was removed (with compassion). I moved all my CEO 1-on-1’s to either Monday or Friday. It helps to be on the bookends of the week so they can either get input on this week's goals or do a debrief on what happened. This gave me the flex time needed during the middle of the week to: + Unblock a problem for a CEO + Give feedback + Finish checklist 2/ Structured communication internally I’d be getting slacks, texts, emails, calls - and this is just from my team! Not to mention the emails and DMs I might be getting from external. So, I set up a super straightforward way for us to communicate internally. I put everything into one of 3 buckets: 1. Comms 2. Requests 3. Meetings I pride myself on being responsive and available so I always have my CEOs: a) text/call when they need something real time b) always ASK me to cc: my assistant for scheduled time when they need it or are blocked. c) Not look at my calendar and conclude I'm too busy, I worry about that :) 1. Comms.  In general, here are ideal channels for the type of communication: + Slack - quick sync/internal comms (<5 mins) or where we want others to easily follow. Also internal scheduling requests. + Text - fast/urgent and super short + Call - urgent and/or to discuss something >5 mins + Zoom - more organized presentation for review etc + Email - async review and/or external 2. Requests For an async REQUEST thats >5 mins: a) EMAIL it to me and cc Patricia b) in the SUBJECT include a deadline + level of importance (0-10) + type of work you're seeking c) Patricia or I will confirm the deadline/request or ask for another date d) If urgent or the above process isn't a fit, just call me/text me. 3. Meeting Agenda/Prep - I ask everyone to share an agenda the day before for any given mtg and include any pre-read materials or something else they want me to be prepared to discuss. Examples of agenda questions/items to share: + Topics of discussion? + What is success in this mtg/convo? + What would make the mtg a 10/10? + What decisions are being made and who is making them? – I think of myself as a “servant” to my CEO’s. I need to show up for them and I need them to ask what they need from me. They are not reporting to me, I’m serving them. Trust me, it’s not perfect, but it’s made everyone’s life a whole lot easier.

502,352 Slack messages are sent every month at My Amazon Guy. That's a lot of comms. You could say working here is like being assimilated into Star Trek's #Borg. Here's what I've learned about running a company in Slack. → Lesson One: Culture is NOT optional Your Slack culture mirrors your company culture. It's more than just sending memes, it's about how you communicate, celebrate wins, and address challenges. → Lesson Two: Be the master of notifications 🔔 Notifications should be your friend, not foe. Customize it to the T, to ensure relevant conversations don’t get lost in the abyss of non-stop chatter. → Lesson Three: Channels are your best pals 📚 Think of channels as bookshelves. Organize them well, categorize appropriately, and say hello to smooth, clutter-free conversations. ⭐Star people or channels to find at the right time. → Lesson Four: Set up clear communication guidelines from the get-go. What's acceptable, what's not. Keep the boundaries crystal clear. USE THREADS. Threads keep the main channel uncluttered and makes it easy to follow up on discussions. BONUS: Slack isn't just for work. We have channels for pets, food, parents, and more. PS - Get an important msg? Hit "set reminder" to action it later.