Fundamentals of Working #3 - Emails & Teams...

How many communication channels do you have open during your working day?

Email. Teams. Slack. Group chats. WhatsApp. Notifications. Direct messages.

We have never had more ways to communicate.

And yet, sometimes it feels harder than ever to actually get work done.

The question isn't which tool you use.
It's whether you are leading the tool – or the tool is leading you.

I often hear people say:

“I just need to keep on top of my emails.”
“I have to respond immediately – they can see I'm online.”
“I can't miss something in the Teams chat.”

But being constantly available isn't the same as being effective.

So, how do you take back control?

Choose when you communicate.

Turn off unnecessary notifications.
Book time to manage messages.
Create some space to actually think.

If you look at a message five minutes before a meeting, you're probably taking that message into the meeting with you.

And checking Teams in bed means there's a good chance you're taking work to bed too.

Decide what each channel is for.

Does it need an email?

Could it be a Teams or Slack message?

Does it need a meeting?

Or perhaps it doesn't need to be communicated at all?

Your team shouldn't have to work out which version of you is hiding in each channel.

And then there's the how.

Communication isn't just about getting information from A to B.

Your communication tells people something about you, your team and your organisation.

What does your Teams message say about you?

What does your email say about your culture?

Do you write:

“Hi”
“Can you do this?”
“Thanks”
“Cheers”

Or do you use something more formal?

Are emojis encouraged?

Is it OK to message someone outside working hours?

Do people expect an immediate response because they can see you are online?

None of these are necessarily right or wrong.

But if you don't set the expectations, your team will create them for you.

I've worked with organisations where the challenge wasn't the technology at all. It was that their communication didn't reflect their brand or culture.

We explored what good, bad and ugly looked like.

What did the organisation want its communication to sound like?

How direct should people be?

What was friendly and what became too casual?

Where was the line between being assertive and being aggressive?

Because the words we choose – and the way we choose to use them – matter.

And remember: communication is two-way.

If you're a leader, don't just think about what you send.

Think about what you are teaching people to expect.

If you respond to Teams messages at 10.30pm, people may assume they should too.

If you send everything marked URGENT, eventually nothing is.

If you message rather than speak when something is difficult, your team may learn to do the same.

Your communication habits become your team's communication culture.

So...

Lead your email.
Lead your Teams.
Lead your Slack.
Lead your chats.

Don't let them lead you.

Simple does not mean easy.

I work with Leaders and professionals to turn good intentions into practical, lasting changes.

Want to work differently? Let's talk.