Supercharge your Slack Productivity E-Book

Moshe Markovich

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 348

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Slack is an online communication tool that allows workplace teams to collaborate efficiently, effectively, and securely. It’s the leading channel-based messaging platform used by millions to align their teams, unify their systems, and drive their businesses forward. As a developer, you can use Slack to create tools such as bots that handle and maintain routine and time-consuming tasks. If you’re looking to set up a Slack workplace or build a Slack bot or app, this is the book for you.
In this book, you’ll explore scenarios that show you how to set up a Slack workplace, build a Slack bot, or integrate your favorite tools. You’ll also learn how Slack can help you create a more collaborative, efficient, and coordinated work environment from any location. As you advance through the chapters, you'll find out how to manage your tasks and boost your business productivity by automating the trivial tasks. You'll also cover more advanced features such as using a Slack bot to complete tasks, including automating message responses and accessing personal reminders.
By the end of this Slack book, you'll have learned how to use Slack effectively to communicate with your team and build bots and have gained a solid understanding of how the platform can help you to progress in your industry.

Leseprobe

Supercharge Your Slack Productivity

Discover hacks and tips for managing and automating your workflow with Slack and Slack bots

Moshe Markovich

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI

Supercharge Your Slack Productivity

Copyright © 2021 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

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Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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First published: March 2021

Production reference: 2200721

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I dedicate this book to the kindest people I know; my mother, father, and all five of my siblings. They continuously accept and support me unconditionally throughout my journey in life. They also taught me life skills, like to always wear a winter jacket, macaroni and cheese is the easiest and most filling meal, and it doesn't matter what you're going through, just keep going and it'll all work out in the end.– Moshe Markovich

Contributors

About the author

Moshe Markovich is a marketing and Slack consultant who has worked with governments, venture capitalists, and dozens of corporations and brands, including Johnson & Johnson, Google, Keybank, and Comedy Central. He runs a company called Online Geniuses, which has grown to become the largest real-time marketing community in the world with over 25,000 vetted members.

I want to thank my family and friends who came along for the journey.

About the reviewer

Vikrant Singh is an experienced collaboration solution architect with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry. He has architected, designed, and developed customization on major collaboration platforms, such as Slack, MS Teams, Yammer, SharePoint, and G Suite. He is also sufficiently skilled with the Google and Microsoft Cloud platforms to fulfill industry needs at the enterprise level.

Table of Contents

Preface

Section 1: Slack Overview

Chapter 1: Getting Started with Slack

What is Slack?

Why communication spells success

The digital communication tool you need

Understanding the platform

The founding story

The anatomy of a Slack workspace

Workspaces

Channels

Topics and descriptions

Direct messages

Calls

Threads

Reactions

Mentions

Notifications

Search

Apps

File sharing

Main menu

Sidebar

Statuses

Slack versus other tools

Slack versus email

Perfect examples of when to use Slack

Perfect examples of when to use email

The pros and cons of utilizing Slack

The pros of Slack

The cons of Slack

Slack versus Microsoft Teams

Summary

Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Slack Workspace

What is a workspace?

Slack's many features for collaboration

A Slack workspace as a digital office

Workspaces and Slack plans

Downloading Slack applications

Different options for use

Downloading your application choice

Logging in to Slack

Signing in with your email account

Signing in with Google

Signing in with multiple workspaces

Setting up your profile

What is a workspace primary owner?

Creating a Slack workspace

Creating your profile

Growing your workspace

Inviting and tracking team members

Team member notifications

Joining a Slack workspace as a new member or guest

Understanding roles and permissions

Owner

Admin

Members

Multi-channel and single-channel guests

Migrating existing workspaces to your organization

Slack for remote teams

Summary

Chapter 3: Slack Features, Tips, and Tricks

A simple versus powerful Slack application

The importance of intentional communication

Paid versus free Slack features

The free option

The paid options

Effective communication in Slack

Stylistic choices for adding urgency or excitement

Listicles for any occasion

The power of @

Sharing your screen through Slack

Using reactions for polls

Referencing a past Slack message

Types of channels

Public versus private Slack channels

External Slack channels

Joining Slack channels

Slack channel prioritization

Slack features that increase productivity

File features

Message features

Search features

Channel features

Personal Slack features

Learning how to maintain a published Slack app

Muting notifications

Cleaning up Slack channels

Using reminders

Admin and account maintenance

Most useful Slack shortcuts and customization

Customizing your workspace

Notification tricks

Default Do Not Disturb hours

Keyword notifications

Summary

Chapter 4: Onboarding Your Team to Slack

Setting up 2FA

How 2FA works

Signing up with an authentication app

Signing up with an SMS message

Slack etiquette and team knowledge

Minimal messages are key

Utilizing the proper channel

Threads, threads, threads

Direct messaging for individual conversations

Keeping conversations brief and succinct

An emoji is worth 1,000 words

Respecting the Do Not Disturb sign

Customizing Slack to suit your team

Aesthetic

Creating your own emojis

Functionality

Departmentalizing Slack

Organizing channels

Improving company culture with Slack

Why Slack is an optimal cultural tool

Setting the tone

Hosting a Slack meeting

Storage on Slack

Slack Stats and Analytics

Analytics dashboard

Summary

Chapter 5: Using Slack Externally with Live Chats, Guests, and Partners

Inviting guests to your workspace

Multi-channel guests versus single-channel guests

Slack Connect

Sharing a channel with external organizations

Integrating workflows with shared channels

Working with outside partners and freelancers

Single-member teams

Sharing Slack etiquette and the team knowledge base

Setting rules and expectations

Why not email?

Slack communication with clients and customers

Tips for how to manage your clients in Slack

Interactive live Q&A in Slack

Prep an Ask me Anything session

Video conferencing

Utilizing Slack for support teams

File sharing

Summary

Section 2: How to Use Third-Party Applications and Bots

Chapter 6: Your Workspace Slackbot

What’s Slackbot?

Getting the most out of Slackbot

How to get the most out of Slackbot

Responding to mentions

Setting personalized reminders and tasks

Adding automatic responses

Bringing Slackbot to your threads

Building FAQs with Slackbot

Utilizing Slackbot for your clients

Customizing your Slackbot responses

Workspace language

Creating fun interactions

Summary

Chapter 7: Integrating Your Favorite Tools

What is the Slack App Directory?

Getting apps into your Slack workspace

The Slack app approval process

Using apps in Slack

Using Slack apps to improve your work culture and onboarding process

Simple Poll

Donut

Giphy

Zoom

Troops

The most common Slack apps and integrations

Google Drive

Dropbox

Outlook Calendar

GitHub

Twitter

Summary

Chapter 8: Automate Your Workflow with Zapier

What is Zapier?

Zapier's communication tools

Choosing the right plan

How to integrate Slack and Zapier

Connecting Zapier with Slack

Utilizing Zapier's tools in Slack

Triggers

Actions

Automating your workflows with Zapier

Zaps

How to create a Zap

Using Zapier for teams

Popular Zaps

Exploring Push by Zapier

Setting up Push by Zapier

Zapier based on your business

Project management

Customer support

Social media

E-commerce

Summary

Chapter 9: Slack API, Webhooks, Block Kit, and Sandboxes

What is a Slack API?

Types of APIs

The RTM API

What is the Webhook API?

Setting up and creating incoming Webhooks

Sending messages using Webhooks

Interacting with your Webhooks

How to use Block Kit

Building blocks

Block elements

Button elements

Checkbox groups

Date picker elements

Image element

Time pickers

Types of blocks

Configuring a Slack API sandbox

Enter sandbox

Setting up your sandbox

Installing Simple IdP

Summary

Section 3: How to Build Your Own Bots

Chapter 10: Building Your Own Bot

Slackbot versus regular bots

Creating a bot user

Building your bot user

Setting up Events API access

Bringing the bot to your workspace

Creating an app

Building and hosting your bot

Setting up bot tokens

Finding the right scope(s)

Authorizing OAuth permissions

Putting your bot into action

Scheduled messages

Slash commands

Using existing frameworks

Block Kit

The Bolt framework

Testing and pushing your bot live

Testing

Updating

Summary

Chapter 11: Buying, Building, and Outsourcing Your Bot

Benefits of building your own Slack bot

Using external and paid frameworks

Botkit

Microsoft Bot Framework

Amazon Lex

Benefits of buying your own Slack bot

Brilliant bots for your workspace

Understanding the cost and time to outsource a bot

Finding freelancers

Using Upwork to hire Slack professionals

Cost for hiring a Slack professional

Summary

Chapter 12: Distributing Your App in the Slack App Directory

Preparing your Slack app for submission

Apps unsuitable for the App Directory

App submission checklist

Submitting your Slack app for review

Maintaining, updating, or discontinuing your published app

Expectations for your published app

Updating your published app

Removing or discontinuing your app from the directory

Summary

Other Books You May Enjoy

Preface

Slack is an online communication tool that allows workplace teams to collaborate efficiently, effectively, and securely. Through Slack, your team opens the doors to endless opportunities to engage and create in a unified place. In this book, we'll walk you through the basic elements that comprise the app's workspace as well as added features both internally and externally that work to individualize your team's experience based on the needs and requirements for your company's success.

Who this book is for

The beauty of Slack is that it can be used by anyone. Beginners and master developers alike are encouraged to participate in the Slack experience, using it as either a basic communication channel or an advanced workspace for coding and creating bots and applications.

As a developer, you can use Slack to create tools such as bots to handle and maintain routine and time-consuming tasks. The only background required of a Slacker is the motivation of someone searching for a unified place to build and create with others.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Getting Started with Slack, explains what Slack is and how to know whether it is the right fit for you and your company. We go through the pros and cons of Slack and whether it's useful for people deciding to use Slack internally.

Chapter 2, Setting Up Your Slack Workplace, covers setting up the logistics of your Slack workspace, as well as understanding the three tiers of Slack's hierarchy.

Chapter 3, Slack Features, Tips, and Tricks, covers the best Slack tips and tricks for your business team. This chapter covers tons of Slack features that are normally unknown to the bulk of its users.

Chapter 4, Onboarding Your Team to Slack, helps you understand how to provide the most helpful and welcoming experience for new hires and already existing team members.

Chapter 5, Using Slack Externally with Live Chats, Guests, and Partners, covers branching beyond your direct team to bring agencies, consultants, freelancers, and external partners into your workspace.

Chapter 6, Your Workspace Slackbot, takes a deeper dive into the ways that bots can impact your workspace and help things run more efficiently by understanding Slack's in-app bot: Slackbot.

Chapter 7, Integrating Your Favorite Tools, shows you how to implement helpful additional tools to help manage time, increase productivity, and engage users once your team is up and running.

Chapter 8, Automate Your Workflow with Zapier, walks you through how to get the most out of Zapier, one of the most popular and useful integrations for Slack.

Chapter 9, Slack API, Webhooks, Block Kit, and Sandbox, covers learning how to integrate complex services with the Slack API to go beyond the integrations provided through the app.

Chapter 10, Building Your Own Bot, covers understanding which platform is best to build your bot on using existing code, pushing the bot live, and testing it.

Chapter 11, Buying, Building, and Outsourcing Your Bot, and Outsource, teaches you how to recognize when it's best to buy, build, or outsource your own bot.

Chapter 12, Distributing Your App in the Slack App Directory, covers placing your bot on the market for others to utilize in their own workspace through the Slack App Directory.

To get the most out of this book

In this book, we'll walk through scenarios on how to set up a Slack workplace, build a Slack bot, and integrate your favorite tools. You'll learn how Slack can create a more collaborative, efficient, and coordinated work environment from anywhere. You'll then progress to more advanced features, including creating a Slack bot to assist with the completion of tasks such as automatic message responses or accessing personal reminders and tasks.

Slack users can enter a workspace with very little or extremely detailed knowledge of the app, bot creation, or code. This book will focus on specific tools meant to guide you through a general understanding that could then be expanded upon later. The following features and requirements will 100% be utilized throughout the book.

Setup features will be explained in detail in Chapter 2, Setting Up Your Slack Workplace. Additional tools can be utilized depending on the user and their unique workspace.

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code via the GitHub repository (link available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.

By the end of this book, you will be able to set up a Slack account, know how to share files and communicate with your team, be able to build bots, and be knowledgeable about the platform and how it can help you progress in your industry.

Conventions used

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: admin.conversations.invite: Invite a user to a public or private channel.

A block of code is set as follows:

{

"type": "button",

"text": {

"type": "plain_text",

"text": "Click Me"

},

"value": "click_me_123",

"action_id": "button"

}

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For example, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in the text like this. Here is an example: "From your email invitation, select the Finish Setup link."

Tips or important notes

Appear like this.

Get in touch

Feedback from our readers is always welcome.

General feedback: If you have questions about any aspect of this book, mention the book title in the subject of your message and email us at [email protected].

Errata: Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you have found a mistake in this book, we would be grateful if you would report this to us. Please visit www.packtpub.com/support/errata, selecting your book, clicking on the Errata Submission Form link, and entering the details.

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Section 1: Slack Overview

Slack is an extremely useful tool for any member, at any level, in any area of any industry. The communication platform allows users to interact, communicate, and share information, skills, and files all in one unified place. This section focuses on the basics of the application, as well as developing a general understanding of what Slack is and how it can be beneficial to you and your team.

We will first look at how to approach the app itself by getting started with your Slack workspace. We'll break down the basic terms and features to familiarize you with the application. Then we'll set up an account and profile and invite members of your team as well as external members, such as guests, clients, and partners, to join. Let's get started!

In this section, we will cover the following chapters:

Chapter 1, Getting Started with SlackChapter 2, Setting Up Your Slack WorkplaceChapter 3, Slack Features, Tips, and TricksChapter 4, Onboarding Your Team to SlackChapter 5, Using Slack Externally with Live Chats, Guests, and Partners

Chapter 1: Getting Started with Slack

Does a coordinated team, moving in unison, sound like something you need? In order to build this type of team structure, you need a supportive communication and collaboration tool where your team can streamline conversations and push development forward. Slack is the platform that allows for that type of top-notch conversation, and this book will show you the ins and outs of bringing that to life.

This book is organized in a way that allows you to first master the basics before diving into technology that you didn't even know was accessible to you. Each chapter is meant to push you to a higher level of understanding of Slack technology so that you can build a Slack workspace that is unique to you.

Chapter 1, Getting Started with Slack, will get you familiar with the platform and its functionality. After you have built a deep understanding and familiarity with Slack, you will be ready to build your Slack workspace and create the type of real-time communication that your team requires. So, let's dive right in and start your journey.

This chapter will cover the following main topics:

What is Slack?Slack versus other toolsSlack versus emailThe pros and cons of SlackSlack versus Microsoft Teams

What is Slack?

That is the ultimate question, isn't it? What is Slack and how does it pertain to you? Slack is a business communication platform that allows you and your company to communicate through easily accessible channels and threads to create a simple and efficient working environment.

Communication is an integral factor in any working community. Moreover, in a time where face-to-face communication is not always possible, Slack is a quick and easy way to connect all members of your organization through one simple tool.

Why communication spells success

Whether you are a founder with a small team, a leader with several hundred employees, or a freelancer with dozens of clients, the chances are you that are searching for a better way to keep everybody connected.

You've sat through various TED Talks, MasterClasses, and keynote speeches about leadership that all share the same message: communication is the key to success. There is an excellent reason why this message appears repeatedly. So, let's start this book by stating that communication is the foundation to your success.

Living in the 21st century means that you are continually bombarded with digital communications. Your phone lights up with every notification from a friend, team member, or brand trying to get in front of you. You've been annoyed by receiving the short "OK" messages that seemed pointless to receive. In team communications, that annoyance can quickly permeate a negative culture and breed disassociation across the team. This is the exact opposite of what you want and what this book will teach you.

A simple restructuring of the preceding statement is needed to ensure that digital communications carry importance and value connectivity; that is, intentional connections are the foundation to your success.

Do you want to be the next Steve Jobs and take over a market? How about taking over your street block with a booming small business? You need to nail intentional and consistent communication in order to do all of these things. It's good that you have powerful technology at your fingertips to make this process seamless – after you learn the basics, of course.

The digital communication tool you need

Slack has become a standard tool that is mentioned in every entrepreneurial ecosystem you are likely to come across. It has even taken on cultural significance as the brand name is used as a verb (for example, "Let me slack you when I'm done" or "I'll slack that link over to you"). A tool taking on this kind of importance deserves its own book to explain why and how a platform can be so powerful at keeping people connected.

Voila! The book is resting in your hands now.

Having found this book means that you've heard of Slack. You know it's defined as an online communication tool that allows workplace teams to collaborate with each other. You might even have a Slack profile for a workplace somewhere. But there is so much more to Slack than a high-level glance will show. Slack is the tool that will help you to build the next Facebook, Nike, or Apple.

You can build your company's very culture by utilizing Slack and creating a bustling ecosystem that is unique to the needs and desires of your company. Through customization, team members can feel the mission and values of their company come to life. Through the integration of tools, a team has the information they need at their fingertips. Through the creation of bots, an organization becomes more coordinated than ever.

There is power in having a comprehensive digital workspace that keeps remote and in-office personnel connected. Slack is that comprehensive tool, and, when done right, your team will be one that prioritizes communication for the broader success of your company's vision.

Understanding the platform

Slack is a channel-based messaging platform that connects teams and systems so that they operate more efficiently and effectively. This digital communication tool helps build a company's ecosystem by streamlining communications and processes across the organization to drive the business forward.

Simply put, Slack is the digital communication tool that keeps companies growing and scaling successfully. Take it from the following major brands who utilize Slack to keep their team connected:

AirbnbLyftPinterest AmazonBuzzFeedSalesforce

Have you ever wanted to implement a piece of software into your team's processes to keep everything together? For instance, a storing ground for files, past messages, notifications, and more? Slack is the organized portal that gives you answers with the click of a search button.

Slack is not just useful for the major brands we mentioned earlier (and thousands of others not listed here). Many early-stage start-ups use Slack as the primary communication hub for their thriving ventures, and solo contractors apply its functionality to stay in touch with clients around the world. Slack is a tool that allows you to grow with it, no matter what stage of development you are at.

With a reported 12 million-plus daily active users and over 119 thousand paid customer accounts, Slack has quickly become a leader in its market. Competitor platforms such as Google Workspace, Miro, and Blizz (explained in more detail in an upcoming section) offer attractive functions to teams seeking more on-demand communications, yet Slack has paved the way and has captured a lot of market potential with its user-friendly interface, capability for integration with other tools, and overall simplicity.

Simplicity and familiarity are two qualities that Slack has leaned into for its design. Living in the social media generation means that you want quick access and easy-to-read communications. Think about some of your favorite posts on Twitter. Avid users love the platform for the following reasons:

They can keep up to date with the latest news and developments.They can contribute to conversations in a way that doesn't take up too much time.They can create content that isn't time-consuming or overwhelming.They can search and share rapidly with a click of a button or by typing in a search word.

These reasons, and more, are not exclusive to Twitter but also Slack and its millions of users. A team can communicate and collaborate in a way that feels very social and quick to manage. Rather than getting into an hour-long meeting to discuss updates on a project, Slack creates a space for that conversation to happen quickly and efficiently – with some of the messages that are shared being no longer than a tweet.

The social aspect of Slack is an outstanding quality, and many teams are attracted to the platform because of this. Building a strongly united team and culture shouldn't take more time out of a busy founder or manager's schedule. Slack's easy-to-use technology creates a connected team through up-to-date and engaging communication; it is as though a social network vibe comes to life for your company.

The founding story

With such a socially driven communication platform, it is no wonder that the founding story of Slack has roots in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) market. Slack founder Stewart Butterfield began Slack as an internal chat tool for his gaming company, Tiny Speck. Indeed, one of the fastest-growing Software as a Service (SaaS) start-ups in the world didn't even start with the mission to help companies "be less busy" (Slack's tagline).

Stewart and his team aimed to revolutionize the MMORPG market with a new, nonviolent game, unlike World of Warcraft and other popular outlets. Their team was spread across four cities and two countries, and they found that the online chat tool at the time, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), wasn't functioning smoothly or offering the type of communication they needed.

As a result, Tiny Speck built an internal chat tool and added functionality on an as-needed basis to improve their communications. It was that ad hoc approach that produced the now majorly attractive search feature within Slack, which transformed how teams connect.

After Tiny Speck's game failed due to insufficient traction and gameplay, Stewart pivoted his team to focus more on the internal tool they had already built, beginning to see how other groups might need this type of communicative functionality at their fingertips. Slack was built through dozens of feedback loops, trial and error analyses with big and small companies, and a founding team who spent an enormous amount of time using the product to identify every angle of functionality.

The early development of Slack allowed the team to discover unique factors that would give them a competitive edge, such as the following:

A centralized hub of communication that not only brought team members together but also documents, files, past messages, and moreA transparent and lasting record of all correspondence, so no more thoughts were lost in intra-office phone calls or meetings

From the need for more reliable internal team communications to a company now valued at $17 billion, Slack has taken the market by storm and has shown companies large and small what it means to be less busy.

The anatomy of a Slack workspace

Around 65 Fortune 100 companies and countless others utilize Slack daily, but what exactly is it that these companies use on the platform to keep their team connected? Let's dive into the full anatomy of Slack and its workspace settings. Feel free to bookmark this section as a Slack dictionary for future use when creating your own workspace.

Workspaces

A workspace is the communication hub for your team on Slack and is made up of channels where your team members can connect and work together. Team members will need to create a Slack account once they are invited to join the workspace:

Figure 1.1 – A Slack workspace

Workspaces are often named after the company, for example, the Google Workspace or the Amazon Workspace.

Channels

A channel is a single place where a team can share messages, links, tools, and more that are organized around a common theme. That theme is decided by a Slack manager who can create a channel for a particular team, product, or another concept:

Figure 1.2 – Slack channels

Channels can be one of the following:

Public and open to all team members in the Slack workspacePrivate and open to only the team members who are invited to that channel Shared and open to an invited external organization to connect with the internal team

Topics and descriptions

A channel topic delineates what members are working on or discussing in a particular channel. A channel description shares information regarding the intended use of the channel:

Figure 1.3 – A portfolio example

Topics and descriptions are a great way to create guidance and structure for chatting intra-channel, although companies can also make a random channel with loose guidance to host more watercooler-type conversations.

Here are some examples of channel topics:

AnnouncementsSuggestion boxRandomIT Help

Direct messages

Direct messages are how team members can host private, one-off conversations that don't need to be on a channel:

Figure 1.4 – Direct message channels

Slack is known for the transparency it provides across a team, keeping everyone in the know and updated. However, some conversations don't require more than a few individuals to take part.

Direct messages can occur between two people or up to eight people at a time.

Calls

Slack calls are how team members can connect via voice or video call directly through Slack. Screen sharing is also available during a call depending on what platform you are using (note that iOS and Android are not able to screen share at this time).

Slack calls mean that your team members can keep their phones for personal use, and they do not have to make calls or send texts to other team members.

Threads

Threads are a messaging functionality and are used to organize discussions attached to an original message in channels and direct messages:

Figure 1.5 – Slack threads

Thread replies don't clutter your workspace and keep everything organized below the initial outreach. Team members can view the entire conversation by clicking on View Thread.

Reactions

Reactions are a quick way for a team member to respond to a message, using the full emoji keyboard:

Figure 1.6 – Reactions in Slack

Reactions are another feature that makes Slack feel like a social network platform with natural, instant, and fun engagement methods.

Team members can see who has left emoji reactions to their messages, leave them for others, and remove them from posts.

Mentions

Mentions are a way to notify team members that a message or conversation requires their engagement. Team members can tag someone using the @ sign and typing in their name, which will then notify the individual that they have been mentioned in a message.

Important note

If there are multiple team members with the same name on your Slack workspace, you will need to select the appropriate individual you want to mention. If you mention someone in a private channel that they are not invited to, this individual will not be notified of the mention.

Notifications

Notifications are Slack's functionality to inform a team member when and where they are needed by others instantly. When creating a profile and deciding on your preferences, you can choose whether to receive notifications by desktop, email, or mobile device. Slack notifications can be customized by channel so that team members can stay up to date in a manner that works best for them.

Search

Searching through your team's workspace gives you quick and direct access to past messages, files, channels, and people:

Figure 1.7 – Slack's search feature

The search feature is one of Slack's most attractive elements for teams because it allows for every interaction in Slack to be archived and then recovered when it is needed. The main navigation bar at the top of the workspace is your direct portal for searching.

You can also search using filters to narrow down precisely what you are looking for in your search.

Apps

Apps allow you to bring tools into your daily communications with teams and, by doing so, streamline your processes even further. Connecting apps to your Slack workspace brings all of the necessary information to one place, leads to quicker and sounder decisions, allows projects to progress more efficiently, and adds fun for the team.

File sharing

File sharing allows you to browse, share, and download files in your Slack workspace to keep all of your relevant documents in one place:

Figure 1.8 – File sharing in Slack

Utilizing the File browser option, you can search through files that you have shared or find those that other members of your team have added. Uploading is also simple, and you can do it by simply attaching a file to a channel or direct message text.

Main menu

The main menu is where a team member can go to personalize the Slack workspace for their needs and best processes. A team member can access their profile to add a profile picture, phone number, and other details. Some of these preferences include setting up notifications, picking a Slack theme, customizing the sidebar, and searching for advanced settings.

Sidebar

The sidebar gives team members direct access to all channels and direct messages they are a part of in the workspace:

Figure 1.9 – The Slack sidebar

The sidebar organizes all recent conversations, mentions, files, and more, making it easy to build upon conversations and move projects forward. The sidebar also gives access to the main menu where team members can adjust their settings and preferences.

Statuses

A Slack status is a simple way to share your availability and accessibility with other team members:

Figure 1.10 – Slack statuses

A status includes an emoji and short text description that appears when an individual hovers over your workspace status. Popular methods of utilizing Slack statuses include the following:

In a meetingOnline and availableBusy and will respond soonAway from laptop

This overview of various Slack features and functionalities will help you to create a workspace that best fits your team's needs. Now that you understand the basics of Slack, let's figure out whether Slack is the best tool for your team.

Slack versus other tools

Slack has become the standout in team communication tools over the past few years. Its functionality and adaptability for small and large teams attract many to its path. However, there are a number of competitors within the market that you need to be aware of:

Microsoft Teams: Teams is the communication and collaboration hub that syncs well with Office 365 processes. Continue to the end of the chapter to find out more about this platform in detail. Workplace by Facebook: Workplace creates a social-like network for team members to collaborate with each other. This is a recent development by Facebook and could experience more bugs. Chatter by Salesforce: Chatter connects employees to files, data, and other team members in a manner that focuses on collaboration. This is an expensive platform and not ideal for an emerging start-up. monday.com: Monday is a project management tool that allows teams to work dynamically through the planning and execution of projects. Monday has more power within project management than daily, one-off communications.Google Hangouts: Hangouts offers a secure instant messaging platform and direct connection to Google Drive that makes sharing simple. Hangouts offers much less functionality than Slack, and it carries a more text message-like feeling than might be deemed workplace-appropriate.

While these platforms all have something different to offer, Slack is praised for its simplicity and range of capabilities that allows users of all backgrounds to instantly apply the tool to fit their company's needs. Slack permits its users to communicate safely in addition to its many other features that collaborate in a singular space.

Slack versus email

Email remains one of the most prominent communication tools among companies, both for internal and external conversations. For instance, how many times just this week did you find yourself saying, "Email that document over to me for review," or "I need to email our accountant these details"? One too many times is most likely the answer.

Billions of people spend hours every single day on their email. It is one of the most popular communication forms. However, it is also one of the most draining and time-consuming. Think about what your team has emailed you recently; this might include the following:

An update on the current project development for your latest product Last week's data analytics in CSV pulled from your social media accounts A proposal document for an upcoming sales call A request for 15 minutes on your calendar to discuss a team member's progress

These items have merit and are essential for your company's growth, yet they should not need to suck up the time they take to write, send, and respond to another email among hundreds received each day.

So, what if there was a platform that could decrease your presence (and hours) on email and increase your time spent on meaningful company growth and project development? There is, and it just so happens to be the topic of this book.

Slack has given teams another option besides inundating team members' inboxes with more emails during the day. For all of the examples we have listed previously, and countless others, a channel or direct message with the appropriate individuals mentioned would create the communication needed to move a task forward.

An email takes away the real-time notifications and updates that your team needs to move swiftly. Every email is measured with the same significance because it goes to the same inbox. A Slack message is given the proper importance (whether that is high or low on the totem pole of company urgency) by delivering it in the right channel, to the right person, and at the exact moment that it is needed.

Email still has an essential place in your day-to-day communication, and Slack does not erase that need completely nor replace all of your email connectivity. The majority of companies who use Slack still have an email in place for their team. Google and Salesforce team members all have email addresses just as they all have Slack profiles, and smaller companies function similarly. However, Slack can, and should, decrease the number of emails you receive and send internally because you have a better and smarter method for communicating with your team.

If email and Slack are a marriage of communication channels, how should each platform be used most effectively? Let's get into these nitty-gritty details together.

Perfect examples of when to use Slack

The following is a list of examples of when you can use Slack:

The "Reply all" message:

If you send an email where "Reply all" is a response that a team member can make, you will get more engagement and less annoyance if sending through Slack. For instance, there could be a team brainstorm where every individual member needs to get involved, there might be an update that you need people to confirm the receipt of, or there might be a company-wide update that needs to be shared across the team.

Before Slack, sending an email with dozens of people CC'd in was a go-to move, but this also led to pointless replies crowding coworkers' inboxes. Slack is a simple way to share information or updates across a team and declutter an already full inbox.

Quick answers or immediate responses:

Have you ever sent an email and crossed your fingers, hoping for an immediate response or urgent approval? Slack eliminates that fear and, instead, functions as the perfect space for direct communications to occur. No longer do you need to wait and let a partner sale slip through your fingers or share an urgent request for time off because of a sudden illness. Slack alerts the appropriate person to your concern, and your need is answered efficiently in real time.

Off-topic conversations:

An essential part of building your company's culture is team communications, business topics, and more personal watercooler conversations. The beauty of building strong relationships with other team members happens in random conversations, photo shares, last-minute happy hours, and more personal chitchats.

Rather than sending a formal email to communicate these items, Slack is the perfect place to host the random and off-topic chats that lead to a thriving company culture that focuses on positive relationship building. Create a channel in your workspace, titled random, and watch as your team fills the feed with memories of their first day at the office, photos from last year's New Year's party, and rapid-fire questions to get to know one another better.

Perfect examples of when to use email

The following is a list of examples of when you can use email:

Long messages:

You have received or written a multitude of long emails that took you an hour or more to put together. They come with bulleted sub-sections, headers, tagged team members, and call to actions to move a project forward. Slack is perfect for real-time conversations and quick connectivity; however, these longer messages are a great example of how to continue using emails.

Email communication is not great for quick responses, but it is a place for full project reports and other necessities that need to be conveyed to all the right team members. Information stays the front of the mind in an email message when an intense priority must be given to the topic at hand.

So, what could be a perfect union of Slack and email in this instance? Well, you could send your detailed email to critical stakeholders and follow up with a Slack message to get everyone to confirm the receipt and timeline of response to the call to action.

Initiation over email

It is only a matter of time until a team member reaches out over email with a particular request or need for communication. If they are to initiate this interaction over email, you can do them a service by continuing the conversation over email rather than trying to shift it to Slack.