We were tired of sending emails back and forth amongst our team for tiny details. Interrupting one another during important tasks with a shoulder tap and side conversation wasn’t working well, either. Here is where our tool of the day comes in—the Slack messaging app has been a game-changer for our company.
Now, when I need a quick answer about a project, I ask my coworker in a direct chat or our whole team in a Slack Channel. “What about interruptions,” you might ask? Easy! I can mark myself as away (with a relevant emoji) or turn off notifications for a definite or indefinite time period.
Why do we use Slack?
We use slack for immediate communication and water cooler chats. Many of our employees work remotely, so it’s important for us to have a way to digitally stay connected and keep projects on track.
Time Efficiency
- Quick Responses: Instead of sifting through several email conversations with my coworkers, I can get an instant answer.
- Google Integration: When sharing docs or sheets amongst my team, or when a client sends me a folder of photos for their website, I get notifications in my Google Drive channel where I can request or provide access to a particular file. This saves the time it would take me to search for the document, go to sharing settings, etc., etc.
Morale
- Random: We have a channel devoted to random conversations, gifs, and life updates. From the best cookie recipes to checking in on one another during an ice storm, you can bet there is some sort of laughter or heartfelt communicating happening there.
- Bored App: Recently, we cam across the Bored app which allows us to play a quick game of trivia as a break between tasks. It fuels those of us who are competitive and allows our minds to refresh a bit after working on a big project.
Topical Organization
- Channels: One of the most common features of Slack is their “Channels” which allow you to create separate topic-based message groups. For example, we have a support-maintenance channel just to check up on how sites are doing, notify when clients sign up for maintenance plans, and discuss server-related optimization.
- Threads: Slack has a handy feature called “Threads” which allows you to reply to a specific message and keep the replies pinned to that original thought. Then, if people start talking on a different topic, that thread of messages will stay together.
Whether Slack is the best messaging solution for your team or not, I would suggest looking into the ways you connect and communicate with your team. Chances are there are opportunities for increased efficiency, morale, and organization.
If you have any questions about Slack or how our team increases productivity with tools, give us a call at 503.602.9074. In the meantime, stop slacking! 😉