💬Communication
Why and How communicate?
Initiating a communication
Communication is the art of transmitting information. If you are a developer, view this as something to optimize. Here are some tips:
Divide as much as you can. 1 topic/subject = 1 communication.
Write as few words as possible.
You message needs to be structured. Use bullet points if needed.
Read & Review your message before hitting send.
Avoid unnecessary politeness structure (ex: I hope you had a great weekend and that this email finds you well). Go straight to the point.
Reply to a communication
Use a thread if possible.
If this is an email, always click on the "Reply All" button. Never exclude people who are cc.
Instructions above (Initiating a communication) also apply.
If the communication contains a task assigned to you, give the sender a timeline of completion.
Acknowledging a communication
When a communication is directly addressed to you but you don't have time to answer right away, acknowledge the message. The initiator will know that you have seen his message.
Adding a small emoji to the message is a good way of acknowledging a message.
Channels
Slack/Google Chat
Only transient communication (lasting for a short time).
Don't expect data or items to be stored here (conversations are not accessible after 90 days)
Default to public channels so that everyone is in the loop (pick the appropriate channels)
If you have a question - ask publicly! There are no stupid questions and someone else may also be wondering the same thing.
Don't use group DM's, create a channel, or post in a public channel. If it really needs to be private, consider a private Slack channel.
Private DM's notify everyone in the group and cannot be muted which can be extremely disruptive.
Try and avoid using @channel, @everyone, and @here unless you really need to
If you're making decisions, write down the outcomes in an associated Oreo Requirement or Gitlab issue.
Use threads over open-channel discussions. Multiple messages for a same subject in the main channel will be deleted by an admin.
Email
Important communications that would be lost on Chat (no history)
Chat vs. emails. Because Chat is meant for interactions that rely on quick responses, here are examples of which you will prefer Chat to Email:
Urgent messages
Real-time collaboration
Bonding between team members
Emails don’t make it possible like Chat to interrupt a coworker.
iMessage/Text Message
Use when you need a urgent response on a subject (work related).
Avoid as much as possible this way of communication for work.
Google Meet
Synchronous communication, when face-to-face is important
Should be used with care and when other communication channels aren't suitable (this is the most time-consuming method)
Oreo
Functional description of products that need to be delivered
Bridge between tech and non-tech people. Requirements should be non-technical and be comprehensible by anyone. Tech details should be on the Gitlab issue.
Timeline & Gantt. Use Oreo to communicate to the rest of the team when a Milestone will be delivered.
Behavior & Language
Do not make jokes or unfriendly remarks about race, ethnic origin, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, or religion/spirituality.
Share problems you run into, ask for help, be forthcoming with information, and speak up.
Don’t display surprise when people say they don’t know something, as it is important that everyone feels comfortable saying “I don’t know” and “I don’t understand.”
You can always refuse to deal with people who treat you badly and get out of situations that make you feel uncomfortable.
Always be kind.
Handshake Protocol
When handing something over, the hand-off is not complete until you have some form of acknowledgment from the other party. Until then, you remain the owner of the action item/issue.
As long as you are the owner of something, you need to actively work to move that action item forward. If you can't, you are responsible for seeking help or hand-off.
This prevents "throwing things over the fence" and promotes ownership.
Items that are 'in limbo', are so because of a failure to follow handshake protocol or failure of ownership of the current owner.
Examples
Easiest, most common:
Job: Marcelo, can you start working on this? Marcelo: Yes
In the cases below, Job remains the owner.
Job: Marcelo, I assume you take it from here <no reply>
Job: Marcelo, can you start working on this? <no reply>
Radiating Information
The fact that information is available, does not mean that people will actually see it. And even then, people might not give it the attention it deserves. If you are the creator of a new piece of information, e.g. a new process or an important FYI, it's your responsibility to make sure people who might be interested, actually, pay attention to it.
The best way to do this is to share the information in some way and ask for a follow-up. A follow-up can be a simple "Acknowledged" or something more in-depth.
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