PFT1. From Overwhelmed to Organized: 5 Simple Slack Hacks for Busy Leaders
It's Monday morning, and you open Slack to a bombardment of notifications. Your heart sinks as you see 25 unread channels and two global messages to send. Sound familiar?
Navigating Slack can feel like a Sardaukar fighting in the battle of Arrakeen - surrounded by chaos and uncertainty. As an Executive or Chief of Staff, your communication game needs to be top-notch to survive in this corporate jungle.
But with these strategies, you can become a communication Jedi, effortlessly prioritizing your messages and conquering your Slack inbox.
Claim control over your communication priorities by making "Unreads" your basecamp.
You know that feeling when you open Slack, and your sidebar is full of bolded channel names screaming for your attention? It's like a jungle out there, and if you're not careful, you'll get lost in the chaos.
Don't give in to temptation. Don't let those bolded channel names dictate your priorities. You're better than that. You're in control.
Instead, use the power of the "Unreads" section. Hit Cmd (Ctrl for Windows/Linux) + Shift + A, and you'll be taken to a list of unread messages. Scan through them and decide which ones require your attention, which ones can wait, and which ones are irrelevant and can be marked as read.
Bonus points if you make it a habit to return to the "Unreads" section after every interaction in other channels. Take control of your communication, and you'll find that you're more productive and less stressed.
Stay safe: Compose your message out of the big channels.
Have you ever found yourself hastily typing up an important message to a group of leads, only to realize that you forgot some crucial information or that the formatting was all over the place? And then, in a panic, you either delete the message, try to edit it on the spot, or worse, go into the thread and start clarifying everything, causing confusion and annoyance.
Well, my friend, it's time to put an end to this madness.
Never again should you prepare an important message in the same channel you're sending it to. It's a risky move, and it's bound to be distracting and annoying for others if you keep going back and forth.
Instead, take a deep breath, compose yourself, and use the "new message" view to draft your message with intention and without distractions. All you have to do is hit Cmd + n, and you'll be taken to a pristine text area where you can carefully craft your message, format it to your liking, and double-check everything before hitting send. And when you're finally ready, you can easily choose whether to send it to a specific person, a group conversation, or a channel.
Create an "Open Loops" section for unfinished tasks.
As someone managing multiple initiatives, you're likely bombarded with countless channels and conversations. Not all of them need the same level of attention or provide equal value. Some may be dormant, while others require regular check-ins to keep the project moving forward.
To keep track of these conversations, consider creating a "sidebar" section where you can group them all together. This way, you can easily access them without having to remember every channel name.
I personally call this section my "Open Loops," and to ensure I don't miss anything important, I always add the "direct hit" emoji at the start. This helps me stay organized and on top of all the conversations that require my attention.
Make it a habit to go through your sidebar section during your weekly review to archive, leave, or reactivate conversations as needed based on the current status of your projects. This way, you can efficiently manage your time and prioritize the conversations that matter most.
Make an impact with a clear headline when communicating with large groups or sharing lengthy messages.
If you're familiar with the world of online writing, then you already know that a well-crafted headline serves as a beacon of clarity for readers, offering a sneak peek at the value that awaits them in the rest of the text. Now, what if I told you that you could bring this same sense of direction and structure to your Slack messages?
Here's an idea: consider using bolded headlines for particularly lengthy messages or channels with a high volume of traffic. Think of it as a "Too Long; Didn't Read" summary that highlights the most important points.
While Slack doesn't have a built-in feature for this, fear not! Adding a bolded headline is a breeze. Just hit Cmd + b and watch your message transform into a sleek, professional communication that's sure to turn heads (results may vary, of course).
Keep Communication on Track with a Structured Plan
If you're familiar with software development, you know about the release train - code that's ready to go live is bundled and shipped out at specific intervals. If you miss the train, you're stuck waiting for the next one.
Well, why not establish a communication train? Send your updates to the department at the same time every day. It's a simple, effective way to ensure consistency and set clear communication expectations.
Plus, you'll save yourself from decision fatigue by eliminating the need to decide when to send updates constantly. And thanks to Slack's scheduling feature, setting up your communication train is a breeze.