Slack is the preferred internal messaging system used by most remote teams. However, not all teams use Slack well. Here are some tips on how to use slack better for your remote team:
Have an internal slack policies and procedures handbook
Yes, handbooks are boring, but when your team gets to be a certain size (we would say around 50 or 75 staff members), it’s vitally important to have a Slack policies and procedures handbook. It doesn’t have to be boring, you can make it fun, well-designed or quirky. But you need to at least get these items across to every team member and every new employee:
How to use Slack, including how to DM, how to upload, how to start a new channel, what’s a private versus public channel, how to mute channels, how to favorite channels, how to turn off notifications
When to use Slack, email, videoconference, phone call, text, project management software, code documentation tools, or other systems to communicate with each other
What is unacceptable behavior on Slack. Something to the tune of “We want to create safe and happy workplaces where all employees thrive. If you wouldn’t say or do something in the workplace in person, then you probably don’t want to do this on Slack. This includes harassment, bullying, NSFW content, etc. “
How and when to @channel, @here, and @username. Some people get very annoyed by frequent @’s and others want to know immediately when something important comes up.
How often employees are expected to check Slack. Of course, some people work better blocking out large chunks of time while others work better floating in and out of communication systems, but having expectations that are spelled out helps clarify interactions. It can be as simple as “everyone should check slack at least twice a day.” Or it might be something like “All employees are expected to be on slack during their work hours. Please put yourself on Do Not Disturb (DND) mode if you need some time to focus. Only send someone a notification when they are in DND mode if it’s an actual emergency that can’t wait an hour or two.”
What is confidential and what can be taken out of the slack and told to friends, family members, potential partners, and potential investors
When to use what channels, especially what to post on the general channel, when to make new channels, when to just do a DM or group DM
What’s expected to be on your profile. This might include name, current location & time zone, job title, photo, what are your normal working hours, how else they can reach you, etc
When should posts, conversations or even channels be deleted or archived
Who should be adding bots, integrations, and other third-party services to the slack
React to things
You know when you post something that you think is super important on a channel and then wait … and wait … and wait, and no one responds? Doesn’t that deflate all your enthusiasm and excitement? Doesn’t it make you feel “othered” and left out?
Then why would you leave someone else hanging when they post something? The best way to respond, when you don’t have much to say to respond is to just add a reaction to their post. It can be something as simple as a “thumbs up” or as silly as “catbus.” Placing a reaction to someone’s post acknowledges them for posting it, and gives them the peace of mind that someone’s read their message. It will also inevitably helps establish a more playful and fun culture as your team uploads new reactions with inside jokes.
Have a culture of recognition
Whether it’s Karmabot, GiveTaco, or your own homespun system, having a gamified way to acknowledge someone for going above and beyond is a great way to improve culture and team morale. The basic idea is to have some kind of tracking system, where team members can give points to each other, with an explanation of why that person deserves the points. It’s a great way to give instant recognition and feedback for a job well done. Our team at Gr8er Good Games loves giving tacos. It’s just such a fun, whimsical way to say thanks. There’s so much research on how feedback and acknowledgment should be instantaneous, specific, and (at least for positive feedback) public, and giving someone a taco (or karma point) in your general slack channel does all of those things. With these acknowledgment systems, you can get a report of who has been most helpful to others, who has given most acknowledgment, and what each shout out was about. Also, that way, during your company’s all-hands, you can give out awards like “Best team player” “Most likely to give out tacos” “Best reason to acknowledge a coworker.”
Documentation
Documentation is especially important in remote teams, where messages can be spread across email, Slack, video-chats, and texts. Have a centralized location to document all your important decisions and discussions. It can be as simple as plopping everything on a Google Doc or an Evernote and then linking to that on a pinned post, or having a tl;dr channel that summarizes all important discussions and decisions.
Have fun channels
Just like how you might talk about your daughter’s dance recital, your latest dessert creation, or your weekend adventures at the office, you should also have fun channels for “watercooler” talk on slack. Yes, it takes up time that could be devoted to working, but having the space for team members to bring their whole selves to work, and to learn about their co-workers, creates more employee engagement, higher employee retention, and higher productivity.
What are some of your remote team’s Slack tips and tricks? let us know at hello at patchworkadventures.com.