Hey there,

I recently polled my LinkedIn connections to ask how they felt about chat apps (Teams, Slack, etc.) at work.

Here’s what I heard back:

The majority of respondents weren't too stoked about how much time they're spending on chat apps, but that didn't surprise me. It's become the new default communication medium for so many teams and organizations.

But the real challenge isn't necessarily how much time you spend on Slack, it's how often it breaks our focus when we're trying to work on something more important.

Research by RescueTime found that a 1/3 of users checked email or Slack every three minutes, and the average worker "checks in" every 6 minutes. 🤯

According to our own internal, highly-scientific research, the constant checking results in this:

The bottom line is that every distraction imposes a cost on the depth of your focus.

When your brain changes contexts—say, going from creating a marketing plan to answering a text and then back to the planning—there’s a switching cost. Your brain has to load a different set of rules and information into working memory.

This “boot up” costs at least a few minutes, and for complex tasks, it can take even longer.

By creating new defaults so that we don't constantly feel the urge to "check in", we give ourselves a better chance at dropping into a state of Laser focus. And when we focus on what matters most (your Highlight!), the resulting satisfaction is sweet.

It’s like compound interest. The longer you remain focused on your Highlight, the more engaging you’ll find it and the better work (or play) you’ll do.

Something to Try

In today's hyper-connected world, we have so many ways to keep in touch—email, chat, video calls, phone calls, and even good ol’ face-to-face meetings. But with all these options, it's easy to get overwhelmed or use the wrong method at the wrong time.

That's where the “Contact Contract” comes in. It's not an actual contract you need to sign, but rather a shared understanding within your team about when and how to use different communication channels.

For example, you might agree that urgent matters warrant a phone call, while routine updates can be handled via email. Maybe you decide that chat is great for quick questions, but longer discussions should be saved for meetings.

When creating your Contact Contract, consider factors like:

1. Timeliness: How quickly does this need a response?

2. Thoughtfulness: Does this require deep thinking or a quick reply?

3. Interruption: Will this disrupt someone's focus?

4. Synchronicity: Do we need to discuss this in real-time or can it be asynchronous?

The beauty of this tactic is that it doesn't have to be a formal, written contract (though it could be if that works for your team). It's more about developing a shared understanding of when, where, and how to communicate effectively.

By establishing these guidelines, you can reduce communication clutter and help everyone on your team work more effectively. Plus, it can alleviate the stress of constantly wondering if you're using the right channel for each interaction.

So, why not give it a try? Sit down with your team this week and draft your own contact contract. You might be surprised at how much smoother your communication becomes!

Something(s) to Check Out

I work with a lot of teams through our Make Time at Work program to help create new defaults around how work gets done. As part of this, I often share real-world examples from some of the companies at the forefront of solving this challenge.

Here are a few of my favorites:

(1) The folks at Basecamp (37Signals) are veterans when it comes to working collaboratively in a digital environment. The founders have written books on this topic, but I often share their Guide to Internal Communication with teams I work with as inspiration for their own guidelines.

(2) Buffer is another company that shares openly about how they deal with the challenges around digital communication. Their 10 Slack Agreements is a great resource to inspire your team’s thinking about your company's messaging culture norms.

(3) GitLab is yet another vanguard in the world of remote work, and their example is an inspiring one when it comes to leveling up your team's asynchronous communication. Their Effective & Responsible Communication Guidelines is a concise “rules of the road” for communicating well in a digital environment.

We also have a few of our own suggestions for making your workplace a place that real work actually gets done: Making Time at Work​

As a final thought, it's important to note that you certainly don’t need as many rules as these companies have! Simply starting a conversation with your teammates is often the first step I recommend, and then planning out some team experiments to test and see how things go.

Thanks for reading!

— Connor

P.S. My new summer goal.