Slack is an amazing tool and one of the most important communication channels at Awell. Slack has made asynchronous work possible by providing an alternative to office conversations and by making all communication accessible and searchable.
But, unfortunately, Slack also has a ‘dark side’. Though Slack works well as an asynchronous communication tool, many of us have started using it synchronously, replying instantly to alerts and chatting in real-time. This can lead to chronic interruption and low productivity.
Additionally, by lowering the barrier to initiate communication, Slack can increase communication overhead: low-quality communication generates even more communication to clear up misunderstandings.
To maximize the positive impact and minimize the ‘dark side’, we have created this document that explains how we want to use Slack at Awell.
According to Brook’s law, the number of communication paths grows at a faster rate than the number of people you add to the group. As a result, what worked for a small team of 10 won’t work for a team of 40. Actively designing and tending to the tools & process is essential.