Author: DeNesha Tellis
In recent years instant messaging has become a popular tool to help teams better communicate and collaborate. A well-known player in the instant messaging arena is Slack. More than 750,000 organizations use Slack. Teams that use Slack are 47% more productive. The statistics that demonstrate the value of Slack are nothing short of impressive.
But will Slack work well in your organization and produce a meaningful return on investment? There are steps a communications pro can take to help answer that question.
- Review your internal communications goals. Based on the communications planning you have done, what are you working to achieve? Knowing what results you desire is a fundamental step in evaluating any communications tool or approach. For example, if delivering regular updates to increase or increasing collaboration cross-functionally are goals, how can instant messaging support those goals?
- Assess what types of content people share at your company. Files can be shared within Slack channels or messages. The tool integrates with several storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box as well as some project management and customer support software. If Slack connects with tools your company is already using, it could make using Slack a more user-friendly experience.
- Think location, location, location. Remote work and physically dispersed teams are a reality of the modern workplace that is likely here to stay. Without the ability to walk up to a colleague and ask a question or have a quick conversation, instant messaging is a great way to fill that gap. People can easily reach out to individuals or small groups without cluttering up their email inboxes. And because Slack is accessible from a mobile device, people are not restricted to using it on a computer.
No matter what size an organization is, there is always a need for team members to stay connected, which supports collaboration and productivity. Instant messaging tools such as Slack help foster teamwork and stronger internal communication.