To avoid people feeling a strong desire to leave a group or mute it forever, there are some simple rules to follow. They are quite suitable for the usual offline conversation as well. However, everything you can say in real-time seems worse in chat, because you can re-read, share and use it as proof for forthcoming conversations. What is on the Internet, stays on the Internet forever.
1) Be respectful of everyone. Other people see your attitude about Jack and may adopt it. Jack will feel pressured.
2) Write down the info coherently in one message. Send one single chunk of text instead of ten separate.
”It gets people annoyed”
”when you send separate messages”
”because they are busy”
“and have no time”
“for thousands of notifications”.
3) Use keywords when you send files, photos, links. In the future, it will be easier to find the info. If you send the photo with new requirements, write: “Here’s a pic with new requirements from the client K”.
4) Do not send voicemails if you can write it down. Mostly, it is not convenient for your colleagues to listen to them. If you do not have a choice – send the voicemail with at least one keyword, so that you can find the info later.
5) Do not spam. There are two types of team’s group – the one to share memes, and discuss recent events and the one where there are only necessary and important info is. Do not confuse them.
6) Stay on topics. Do not confuse your co-workers with the immediate change of “You have a deadline to meet, Paul” and “Have you heard of a new documentary series, btw?”.
7) Use it only when you need the answer FAST. No matter how convenient the messengers are, they will never truly replace face-to-face communication.
9) Exclude nuanced or hard conversations. They are not for chats and not for everyone to see. In fact, they are only to talk about in person.