Part of my PhD research was examining how virtual teams use Slack and Microsoft Teams (Enterprise Social Networks, ESNs). One academic output of that is a clearer definition of location within ESNs (article forthcoming; preprint). But this has practical applications as well.
Within remote work, we can see that many companies create similar types of channels within their ESNs; these include announcement channels, team channels, watercooler channels, project channels, division channels, and other types. These are fairly self-explanatory for the most part; for example, an announcement channel is a place for announcements within the company and is generally not used for answering questions or getting support. Team channels have a wider range of variety, though; they can be public (within the company) or private (including only team members). A team can use multiple channels for different purposes, including separate channels for cross-team support, separate channels for asynchronous discussion or daily stand-ups, temporary channels for event or meetup planning, or other combinations of the above.
Exactly which channels are used varies significantly based on the company culture and communication norms, as well as the size/scope of the company. However, generally, most remote-first companies have all of the types mentioned above, along with the use of direct messages for communicating privately between individuals. Companies which are missing one or more type of channel or limit the use of those channels can create communication and collaboration issues. For example, in some interviews I conducted, participants described the lack of a space for getting sympathy and emotional support from colleagues as having a negative effect on their work-related well-being. Other interviews emphasized the need for team leads and team members to create their own channels when needed; restricting this ability can limit the collaborative ability of teams.
As a company adopting an ESN for the first time, or a team who is rethinking how it uses Slack or Microsoft Teams, one of the big takeways is to examine if you have different locations available for the different needs of your teams and employees. Is there a space like a watercooler channel where people can communicate about a shared hobby? What about a dedicated space to collaborate on a new project? Or the ability to create temporary channels for event planning? Are there differences in how highly-productive (or highly-cohesive, or highly-supportive!) teams set up their channels?
After you know that the relevant channels exist, it’s important to examine the use of specific channels for both positive and negative factors. On the positive side, are the channels being actively used for their intended purposes? Do employees feel supported through the communication within their channels? And on the negative side, are individuals feeling information overload in certain channels? Or are individuals unable to collaborate with other parts of the organisation effectively because there is not a welcoming location to do so?
Do you have questions about how this might work, or are you unsure how to start figuring these things out? I can help; contact me!
Michael Henry's blog 