Chat etiquette and procedure

Clear and Respectful Communication

• Maintain Professionalism: Always communicate professionally and respectfully. Avoid using slang or informal language in company chats.

• Be Concise and Clear: Keep your messages clear and to the point. This helps maintain efficiency and reduce misunderstandings.

• Respond Promptly: Aim to respond to messages within a reasonable timeframe, ideally within 24 hours during business days. This ensures timely communication and progress.

Message Organization and Formatting

• Use Threads for Topics: Use threads to keep conversations organized. Start a new thread for each topic to make it easier to follow discussions.

• Tag Relevant People: Use @mentions to tag relevant team members. This helps direct the message to the appropriate individuals and ensures they are notified.

Public vs. Private Channels

• Public Channels: Use public channels for discussions relevant to a broader audience or the entire company. This promotes transparency and collective knowledge sharing.

• Private Channels: Use private channels for sensitive or confidential discussions that should be limited to specific team members. Use of private channels or group DMs should be limited to only when necessary.

Channel Usage

• Creating Channels: Anyone can create a new channel if needed. Ensure the name reflects the channel's purpose.

• Consistent Naming: Use consistent naming conventions for channels to make them easily identifiable. #(team-name/topic-area)-subtopic Primary topic areas are:

  • #engineering

    • e.g.#engineering-pull-requests

  • #delivery

    • e.g.#delivery-pull-requests

  • #sales

    • e.g.#sales-leads

  • #marketing

    • e.g.#marketing-content

  • #project-topic

    • e.g. #project-integrator

  • #incident-topic

    • e.g. #incident-YYYYDDMM-kinops-outage

  • #all-company

  • #social-topic

    • e.g. #social-boardgames

• Invite Only Required Participants: When creating a channel, invite only those necessary for the discussion to avoid unnecessary notifications.

• Mute or Leave Channels: Mute or leave channels that are irrelevant to you to minimize distractions and maintain focus.

Managing Time Zones

• Respect Different Time Zones: Be mindful of team members in different time zones. Avoid sending non-urgent messages during their off-hours.

• Use Scheduled Messages: Use the scheduling feature to send messages at appropriate times for recipients in different time zones. This ensures messages are received at convenient times.

Using Chat Tools Efficiently

• Integrate with Project Management Tools: Integrate chat with project management tools to streamline task updates and notifications.

• Utilize Automation: Automate reminders to manage routine tasks and notifications. This can improve efficiency and make sure tasks are not missed.

Documentation and Collaboration

• Share Files and Links: Use the chat system to share relevant files and links. Ensure that shared resources are accessible to all team members involved.

• Follow Up Asynchronously: If immediate responses are not required, follow up on tasks or decisions asynchronously. This respects everyone's time and work schedules.

Archiving and Cleanup

• Archive Old Conversations: Archive old conversations that are no longer active regularly. This keeps the chat system organized and uncluttered.

• Maintain Clean Channels: Keep channels focused and clean. Remove outdated or irrelevant messages to maintain clarity and relevance.