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Why public chats are better than direct messages

teamplify.com

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Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#71

Post by swatcoder »

vasco wrote: post #62
doctor_eval wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You strongly believe that I am wrong that there is no one single way? So, you are saying that yours is the only way? And that being flexible and working out what’s right for your team… is wrong?

Yes, if you have a team, the team should discuss work progress, discoveries and problems in a shared space that is accessible by other team members. If conversations about the work itself happen in silos because someone is not comfortable, you're doing it wrong because you're fixing the symptom instead of the cause.

What if the “cause” is deeper than your influence can reach? What if addressing the “cause” is a multi-year endeavor?

Do you send the idiosyncratic team member home and forgo what they’d otherwise bring, or do you adapt your process to make the most of the team you have?

It’s great to have ideals to reference, but you miss a lot when you hold onto them as rules.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#72

Post by civilized »

In general I agree, but I have private Slack channels for some projects for a couple reasons:

1. Concern that certain specific people could hijack conversations or take them the wrong way

2. Ability to candidly express frustrations with partners and stakeholders not doing their part

I don't think we are unkind or impolite, but any negativity we express, even for the purposes of effective internal problem solving, can be used against us.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#73

Post by doctor_eval »

swatcoder wrote: post #71
vasco wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, if you have a team, the team should discuss work progress, discoveries and problems in a shared space that is accessible by other team members. If conversations about the work itself happen in silos because someone is not comfortable, you're doing it wrong because you're fixing the symptom instead of the cause.

What if the “cause” is deeper than your influence can reach? What if addressing the “cause” is a multi-year endeavor? Do you send the idiosyncratic team member home and forgo what they’d otherwise bring, or do you adapt your process to make the most of the team you have? It’s great to have ideals to reference, but you miss a lot when you hold onto them as rules.

> It’s great to have ideals to reference, but you miss a lot when you hold onto them as rules.

That’s is such a great way of describing my frustration with this stuff.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#74

Post by mattm »

Trasmatta wrote: post #47

Something that I've found really valuable about private chats is the ability to build rapport and trust with immediate team members in a way that just isn't quite the same in a public channel. You need both. I don't like the idea of setting policies of "almost all communication should be done in public channels". Humans need both types of communication, and I think it's a mistake to try to enforce your team to always…

This is the answer. There is no better period. There is better depending on the context. Can you imagine having all your conversations with your spouse in front of all your co workers?

Their company size is only 25 people. I doubt they will be giving the same advice if their company grows to 200+ people.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#75

Post by amrocha »

rockostrich wrote: post #55
doctor_eval wrote: post #21

As I read this, I got the sinking feeling that I'd read it all before. But then I realised, it's just another case of someone thinking that their specific solution is best, solely on the basis that it worked for them, in their specific circumstances. But here's the thing: every group is different, has different needs, and will respond differently to different styles of communication. Some people (especially people no…

> Some people (especially people not using their first language) can find working in public stressful Which is fine coming in, but the culture should be one that reassures these folks that public forums in the company are safe regardless of their proficiency with the main language. Half of the people I work with speak English as a 2nd language (most are very proficient since they're mostly French-Canadian but there a…

On the opposite spectrum there's the experience I had at a Japanese company as a fluent but not native person. All communication happened in public, and I was made fun of whenever I had to ask clarifying questions. The entire team would see this and got the impression that I was hard to work with since asking questions can be seen as rude in Japanese, and the Japanese staff would understand things the first time around.

So you know, both cases happen.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#77

Post by booleandilemma »

I've found that people like to DM me when they're asking a question they should already know the answer to, and they like to message me in public when they're accusing me or telling me to do something.

They DM me or publicly message me depending on what's most convenient for their public image.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#78

Post by cannonpalms »

astrobe_ wrote: post #31
jrootabega wrote: post #4

This is why, when a colleague has a question about a pull request, or my feedback on THEIR pull request, I push us to have the discussion in the PR comments, instead of the pernicious "I just have a few questions, it will only take a few minutes" that always adds up to more time and attention than people claim. There ARE often situations where opening a synchronous communication channel is necessary, but even then, y…

Actually, I suspect some people don't like to write and/or read; for some it might even be stressful. Not everyone is an author, and at a smaller scale not everyone is comfortable with written communication. It is true that is more difficult than interactive Q&R.

I understand anxiety, but at a certain point, we, as an industry, need to put our collective foot down and say that an ability to communicate efficiently in written-form is a mandatory qualification for success.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#79

Post by Trasmatta »

mattm wrote: post #74
Trasmatta wrote: post #47

Something that I've found really valuable about private chats is the ability to build rapport and trust with immediate team members in a way that just isn't quite the same in a public channel. You need both. I don't like the idea of setting policies of "almost all communication should be done in public channels". Humans need both types of communication, and I think it's a mistake to try to enforce your team to always…

This is the answer. There is no better period. There is better depending on the context. Can you imagine having all your conversations with your spouse in front of all your co workers? Their company size is only 25 people. I doubt they will be giving the same advice if their company grows to 200+ people.

Exactly. The advice doesn't quite scale. I find the better approach is: if this feels like a question that the wider team would benefit from seeing and contributing to, post it in a public channel. If not, then message it privately. Use your own discretion.

At some point you should trust your team to be adults, and to make the best choice for the situation.

Re: Why public chats are better than direct messages

#80

Post by dheera »

doctor_eval wrote: post #21

As I read this, I got the sinking feeling that I'd read it all before. But then I realised, it's just another case of someone thinking that their specific solution is best, solely on the basis that it worked for them, in their specific circumstances. But here's the thing: every group is different, has different needs, and will respond differently to different styles of communication. Some people (especially people no…

Yep. I would find it incredibly distracting to have to wade through piles and piles of discussions about things that I trust other team members to handle, just to search for something that's actually relevant to something I should be involved in.
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