COVID-19 Remote Working Communication Tools

I've been using Slack and Zoom for years, and I'm glad to see people embracing these tools.

As many companies have been moving their staff to work from home, there is some confusion about what people should use Slack and Zoom for. They can feel like "yet another tool" to use. So I thought it would be helpful to outline how I have been using Slack and Zoom to keep remote workers & teams productive.

There are no hard rules when it comes to communication. Keep your ear to the ground, and do what is best for your organisation. Not all of this will be applicable for everyone. It's just some food for thought.

Slack

Hopefully if you are reading this article you know what Slack is.

Department Channels

We have channels for disciplines, and also cross-interest channels for social events and learning.

We prefix our department/discipline channels with "team" so that it is obvious which channels are for teams. Non-department channels don't need a prefix, as they are open.

Here is an example of some of our Digital Experience (DX) channels: 

• team_pm
• Project Managers
• team_development
• Developers
• team_dx 
• Entire department
• team_digital_design
• UI & UX Designers
• team_dx_social
• Only for social events etc
• tech_links
• Learning and sharing knowledge

Note: As a company we have chosen to use underscores for our channel names. It doesn't matter if you use underscores or hyphens. What ever your organisation is comfortable with is the thing that matters.

Project Channels

We have channels for each client. If a client is Slack-savvy, then we invite them to communicate with us on a dedicated client channel. The build/development team have a lot of chatter about implementation and day-to-day issues, so we have another channel so we do not clutter any other channel.

One of our clients is ArcelorMittal, so I'll use them as an example:

• arcelormittal
• All internal project chatter
• arcelormittal_client
• Shared with the client
• Reduces email chatter
• arcelormittal_dev
• Build team chatter
• The Scrum Master is also part of this channel, but doesnt have to be

Private Channels

Generally I think that private channels should be avoided, except for a few scenarios:

• Management
• Sensitive conversations regarding the organisation should sometimes be private
• Human Resources
• Internal HR discussions about staff should be confidential
• A super secret surprise 
• eg. Organising a birthday present

People should be encouraged to be allowed to drop into public channels, then drop out. Think of it like walking into an open office to ask a question to the room.

Direct Messages

Direct messages are a great way to reduce channel clutter. We often broadcast a message in a channel, then decide to move a conversation to direct messages or a call.

Direct messages with multiple people is also possible, however I prefer to avoid this scenario. If you do need to have a direct message with multiple people, then keep it to 2 or 3 people. Otherwise it might be better to create a channel temporarily. Ideally just have a call with them!

Calls On Slack

This is one of Slack's best features! I personally use the call feature when I need to get someone's attention. It is like calling a person's mobile. If they are at their computer then they cannot ignore it :)

Slack calls are great for quick face to face discussions. Use Slack calls so you don't have to type as much. It is far easier to talk than to type. Another fantastic thing about Slack Calls is that you can add other people during the call.

We often screenshare Word docs and Powerpoint slides while on Slack calls. Think of it like being in a room with a big screen.


Channel calls are also possible, however if you are going to have more than 3 people, then we opt for Zoom.

Zoom

Zoom is by far the best video conferencing tool I have ever used. It is intuitive, and just works. Best of all, there is no one in the driver's seat. Everyone is the driver, and it feels so collaborative. Zoom allows you to have up to 100 participants on the free plan, for 40min calls. That's insanely good!

Zoom's enterprise plan allows you to have 1000 participants!

Client Calls

We try to get clients to use Zoom so we can have a real video call with them.

Zoom invitations also include standard phone number. This is fantastic for people people who do not have access to a computer or are unable to do video calls. They can just dial in, while everyone else can still use video on the call.

It should go without saying that Zoom's screen sharing is industry leading. We try to screenshare with our clients so we can go through Word docs, do demos, get feedback on designs, and anything else that you can think of.

The other great thing about Zoom is the recording feature.

Internal Calls / Meetings

Zoom is fantastic for internal meetings that require more than 3 people.

If you are using the free version, then you are limited to a 40 minute. If your company typically has 1hr meetings (or longer), then this will force you to be more productive. Of course, you can always just rejoin the call if you reach your 40min limit. However, most people will want to start wrapping up the call when they see the 10min reminder.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, we use Slack and Zoom for different scenarios.

Slack is a great collaboration tool, and it's call feature is fantastic for quick conversations. Think of Slack as a day to day collaboration tool to increase face to face interaction. When it comes to client calls or regular internal meetings, we use Zoom. Think of Zoom as a meeting/conferencing tool.

Remember, that not everything here will be applicable to everyone. How you use these tools will be defined by what is best for your organisation.

I hope this article has been helpful.