Although asynchronous communications become prevalent, many still struggle with them. To improve individual's communications, the recommendations can be adopted.
- think what value do you bring with every message
- always assume the best intentions of the message author
- don't be sorry about not replying immediately
Scattering messages make it hard to read. Do not rush, as the reader can wait five additional seconds to enjoy the complete sentence.
Bad
Liam 16:12
I was thinking
Liam 16:13
Maybe we should do X
Liam 16:13
instead of Y
Liam 16:13
WDYT?
Good
Liam 16:13
I was thinking, maybe we should do X instead of Y. WDYT?
Don't say just hello in chat. Respect the reader — speak right away.
Do not tag people just because you mention them, do it only if they need to be a part of the conversation.
Bad
Olivia 16:12
I talked to @Emma about X and she told me that we need to do ABC. What are your thoughts on this
Liam 16:40
I think @Emma is right, we need to take an approach X. We can implement it together with @Noah, let's talk about this next week.
Good
Olivia 16:12
I talked to Emma about X and she told me that we need to do ABC. What are your thoughts on this
Liam 16:40
I think Emma is right, we need to take an approach X. We can implement it together with Noah, let's talk about this next week.
Often a question can be resolved by a single person. If that's the case, tag only one person or even write in DM.
Bad
Liam 16:12
Hi @team-payments! Can you please take a look at my PR?
Good
Liam 16:12
Hi! Can you please take a look at my PR?
With @here and @channel, anyone can notify every member of the channel. Never use those. It forces others to stop working and take a look at the message. Surely it's not that important as you think.
Using threads allows one to follow the conversation easily and not pollute the chat with many people.
Bad
Olivia 16:12
Hi there! Do you know how to do X and Y? I'm trying to make Z.
Liam 16:40
Have you tried doing ABC?
Good
Olivia 16:12
Hi there! Do you know how to do X and Y? I'm trying to make Z.
--- replies are in the thread ---
Each channel or group is centered around a single topic, keep it that way. If you want to share a meme, do it in the #memes channel instead of #payments.
Using two-phase commit message styles doesn't bring benefits to the reader.
Bad
Liam 16:12
Hi there! I'm going to schedule a meeting about X on Tuesday
Liam 16:30
Scheduled ✅
Good
(no messages)
Use tools that reduce synchronization. For example, with Google Calendar you can see the availability of every member, and a Github bot notifies you when the PR is reviewed or assigned.
Bad
Olivia 16:12
I need one hour of your time on Wednesday, could you tell me please, is everyone free at 13:00?
Liam 16:30
I have another meeting at that time, but I'm available at 14:00
Emma 16:40
I'm not available at 14:00. Maybe at 15:00?
Olivia 16:50
Scheduled for 15:00, thanks, everyone!
Liam 17:30
Sorry, I haven't seen the message. I'm not available at 15:00, can you please reschedule?
Good
(no messages)
If it's possible to shorten the message without losing the meaning, please do it. Reading is not as fast as talking. Respect the time of others.
If your question is about payments, try to find a channel for that using search. Don't rush into a global chat with every question.
Wrote it a wrong channel? Delete the message, it will save the time of others.
Bad
----- #payments channel -----
Liam 16:12
Do you know any good pet stores in the city?
Liam 16:13
Sorry! Wrong chat!
----- #pets channel -----
Liam 16:13
Do you know any good pet stores in the city?
Good
----- #payments channel -----
Liam 16:12
(deleted message)
----- #pets channel -----
Liam 16:13
Do you know any good pet stores in the city?