Effective Instant Messaging: Setting Norms and Best Practices

Understanding Instant Messaging Norms

• 💡 Instant messaging systems like Slack, Google Chat, and Teams are designed for synchronous, quick, and conversational communication, distinct from email.
• 🧠 Teams often develop unspoken rules for using these tools, which can vary significantly between groups.
• 🎯 Managers should consider establishing clear, high-level norms if instant messaging isn't working effectively within their team.

Establishing Written Rules

• 📌 While it may seem like overkill, having written rules for instant messaging can prevent confusion, especially when team members move between groups with different communication styles.
• 🛠️ These rules don't need to be overly detailed; focus on high-level guidelines such as channel usage, status updates, and attachment expectations.
• 🤝 Junior team members can help by observing and documenting unwritten rules to share with newcomers, avoiding the pitfall of trying to enforce rules upwards.

Leveraging System Updates

• 🚀 Individuals can help less technically inclined or interested team members by providing TL;DR summaries of system updates and highlighting useful new features.
• ✨ This insight can improve team efficiency by ensuring everyone can take advantage of beneficial changes, even if they don't read update notes themselves.

Optimizing Message Length and Medium

• 💬 Instant messaging is best for short, urgent messages, quick status updates, coordinating meetings, seeking immediate assistance, or confirming appointments.
• 📞 If a conversation extends beyond three messages back and forth, consider switching to a phone call or video call for better efficiency and to prevent miscommunication.
• 📧 For discussions longer than two paragraphs or involving more than three participants, email or a scheduled meeting is generally more effective than instant messaging.

The Importance of Human Connection

• 🎭 Relying solely on written communication, including instant messaging, can lead to a loss of human connection, missing nuances like facial expressions and vocal intonation.
• 🏢 This can contribute to feelings of disconnection from the company's mission, especially in remote work environments, highlighting the need for verbal interactions.
• ✅ The goal is to find a balance between efficiency and effectiveness, using the right communication medium for the message and fostering genuine connection.