Reader
  1. @skusan
    • skusancommented3 years ago
      The New YorkerCal Newport12/14/206 min
      The New Yorker

      I find Slack and similar to be brilliant when needing to do a run through on a project and get views or work up a document together. The conversation remains for others in different time zones etc and you can set a limit then 'close' the discussion after a day or two. The problem is in the expectations for asynchronous communication and constant monitoring - it kills getting 'the real work' done. Procrastination is an emotional thing and as humans we're seeking 'the new' all the time - Slack and similar give us the perfect place to escape to, is constantly throwing up 'new' and pulls us in just like social media - it's very hard to resist when the whole thing is set up to grab our attention. For me it's all about leaders putting some thought into what they're trying to achieve and then using Slack/IM to fulfil that while keeping an eye out for unintended consequences and iterating. I don't think just throwing in a platform with no defined intentions or processes except 'replace email' and keeping fingers crossed is enough 😊