3 Incredible Slack Tips To Make The World A Better Place

Ev Chapman
March 30, 2022
2 min read

I both love & hate Slack at the same time

A few weeks ago I tweeted out in a mad rage about how everyone should learn to use shift+enter in Slack messages. To my surprise, so many people just had no idea you could do that. And actually thanked me.

It got me thinking that there are probably a few more tricks I've learned in Slack that could benefit a whole host of people (& save them from the annoyance of co-workers 😉)

Here are three ways you can use Slack to not annoy your co-workers:

Use Shift+enter. I'm sitting doing my work quietly, minding my own business & out of nowhere I am assaulted by one person spraying 10+ Slack messages in a stream of consciousness moment because they either can't or won't use shift+enter. Before you hit enter on that quick thought, ask yourself 'is this my complete thought?' If it's not hit shift+enter and keep writing.

Use Threads. Slack channels can get pretty hectic and busy. So rather than just replying in the feed and having multiple conversations mixed up together. Reply in a thread by hitting the speech bubble when you hover over a message. You'll find Slack a much nicer place to hang out when all your messages are neatly filed away in threads.

Refrain from 'hey.' I regularly get one word 'hey' messages in my Slack DM's. This leaves me wondering, are you going to say something else, or do I have to write 'hey' back? We're not penpals here, if you need something just say what you need. No need to have the hey message, IMO it's just a waste of Slack space.

I'm well aware this may just be my bugbears when it comes to Slack, but I hope we can all build a better Slack experience together 😁

Liked thIS? Then You Might Like My SPARK Newsletter...

The Spark Newsletter:
Join 1,500+ knowledge workers building smarter personal knowledge systems.

Every Sunday I drop into your inbox with a simple creative workflow to help you think clearer & create smarter.

Or Keep Browsing More Posts Like This...

The 'First Moves' Framework That Will Kill Your Procrastination Forever

The science-backed method that helps solopreneurs start (and finish) their hardest tasks
Read post

The Simple Task Method I Used To Eliminate Procrastination For Good.

They say it takes about 20 minutes to refocus every time you switch tasks.I don’t know about you, but I don’t have 20 minutes to waste every time I switch between the tasks on my list. My time is limited. So I created a way to skip that 20 minute hazy moment where you’re faffing around…
Read post

How to Stop Being the Bottleneck in Your Team’s Progress

The life-changing method I created to manage work that was waiting on me, get back to people faster, and create more space to do my best work.
Read post

Master Your Schedule with My 10-Minute Weekly Planning Process (using Tana)

My foolproof weekly planning routine that takes me about 10 minutes every week and keeps me organised across my work, my creator business & my whole life.
Read post

How To Make Steady Progress On Your Big Creative Projects

Lately I’ve been struggling with my process for getting big creative projects done. They feel like they are taking forever to finish. Each step feels big so I put it off thinking I need a bigger chunk of time to deal with it.
Read post

An Essay About Boring SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

I am a master procrastinator. Not because I don't know what I should do or because I'm not motivated - but because most of the time I just don't have the headspace to get stuff done.
Read post