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I had a recent conversation with a leader in a large bank about the sheer volume of communication noise she and her team were drowning in. Emails arriving in a steady stream all day. Constant pings on MS Teams chats and channels. And all of this while sitting in back-to-back meetings trying to focus on the topics at hand.
She asked me for some advice on tools and strategies she could share with her team to create some order in the chaos.
My suggestion? Start with what you can control. Get your own team on the same page when it comes to how you communicate with each other. That is usually a relatively easy fix. It involves creating a short, agreed list of “ways of communicating” that holds everyone to account. At its core, this means a clear understanding of when email is best used, and when Teams is best used.
Managing communications noise from the wider organisation is a separate challenge. But reducing the noise within your own team is a helpful and practical starting point.
Direct v indirect communication
I think of email as a direct mode of communication. It is best used when you require an action from somebody, or when you need a clear record of a request or decision. Because the communication arrives directly in their Inbox, there is less chance of it slipping through the cracks. It is also easier for the recipient to action the communication into their workflow, whether that means adding it to their calendar or their task list. If your team has good hygiene around Inbox management, email is the safest communication tool for actionable work.
MS Teams, on the other hand, is an indirect communication tool, used primarily for team and project collaboration. Rather than pushing information into someone’s Inbox, you post it where the relevant people can find it within the context of a project or topic. Teams channel posts are great when the whole team benefits from seeing a visible, collaborative discussion. Chat works well for time-sensitive but disposable interactions that move work forward quickly.
When we get it wrong
When we use the wrong tool for the communication, we create confusion and overwhelm. Requesting an action through MS Teams makes it hard for the recipient to see it and manage it. Having group conversations on email creates a lot of chatter and noise that obscures the important stuff. Neither tool is the problem. The mismatch is.
Creating a more productive communication culture
Solving this is not just about embracing new tools, strategies or habits. It is a culture issue, and it needs a culture-focused solution.
Our Smart Teams Communications Culture Masterclass is designed to help your team create a healthier communications culture that benefits everyone, while also positively influencing the communication styles of those outside your team.
If you have a team offsite or conference coming up this year, let’s have a chat about how we could reduce some of the productivity friction that gets in the way of your team’s best work. We usually run short, sharp two-hour sessions that are practical and supported by a range of implementation tools and strategies that maximise effective follow-through. This masterclass is particularly valuable for teams who have already undertaken Smart Work personal productivity training and want to go to the next level.