Communicate Better and More Efficiently || Leverage These 5 Overlooked Slack Features
Slack is a powerful communication tool that can help you stay connected and organized with your team. I’ve been using it for work and community communication since 2016 and find it to be a really powerful tool. Yet, with all of Slack’s popularity, there are many features that I continue to hear that people don’t realize exist. I want to share five of these features and how you can use them to enhance your Slack experience.
Scheduled Messages
One of the most overlooked features in Slack is the ability to schedule messages. This is a great way to remind yourself or your team of important tasks or deadlines. To schedule a message, simply type the message you want to send as you normally would, then click on the clock icon in the message box. You can then select a specific date and time for the message to be sent. You can even set the message to repeat on a regular schedule, making it an ideal way to remind your team of recurring meetings or deadlines.
Pro Tip: This feature is a must-use if you’re working outside of normal hours and the message is non-urgent. Your colleague will appreciate the thoughtfulness.
Customizable Notifications
Another feature that many Slack users overlook is the ability to customize notifications. This is especially useful if you’re a member of multiple Slack teams and want to ensure that you’re only notified of the most important messages. To customize your notifications, go to your Slack settings and click on the “Notifications” tab. Here, you can select which channels or messages you want to be notified about, as well as the types of notifications you want to receive (e.g. email, mobile push, etc.). Personally, I always make sure to stay on top of these settings when joining or creating a channel, especially to make sure I don’t get too many unnecessary pings on my mobile device. And don’t be shy about muting noisy channels unless they specifically mention you.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Slack also offers a variety of keyboard shortcuts that can help you navigate and use the app more efficiently. To view the list of shortcuts, press cmd+/ (Mac) or ctrl+/ (Windows) while in Slack. These shortcuts include everything from navigating between channels to searching for messages, to sending a message and much more. By learning and using these shortcuts, you can save a lot of time and make your work more productive. Don’t sleep on this one–cmd+ Z can quickly unsend a message that you sent too soon. See more shortcuts on Slack’s help center.
The (You) Direct Message
If you look in the section titled “Direct Messages,” you’ll see your name next to (You). Because I’m not sure if this feature has an official name, I’m calling it the (You) DM. This is a private section where you can jot down messages that you can return to later. I will use this message interface to send things from my phone to computer and vice versa. I’ll also often schedule my reminders in this DM as well as draft up and format the occasional long-form Slack message. I can’t tell you how many times it has saved me from accidentally sending a message I was only halfway through drafting.
These are some of the Slack features that I often find myself sharing with colleagues. They can be incredibly powerful tools to improve your productivity and make communication with your team smoother. Scheduled messages, customizable notifications, keyboard shortcuts, Slackbot reminders, and the (You) DM are all powerful tools that you can use to enhance your Slack experience and make your work more productive. Take some time to explore these features and see how they can help you stay organized and connected with your team.
Do you use Slack? Let me know what features you’d add to this list!
About Adiel Cloud Nuesmeyer
Hi, I’m Adiel (she/her)! I’m a Sr. Director of Community Development, leading a team of 13 to connect with our customers — as well as form connections between them. My professional superpower is being able to glean insights and features from engaging 1:1 with customers — because I truly care about them and the community.
When I’m not leading the charge (and teaching others how to lead their *own* charge), I can be found driving my kids to umpteen gymnastics practices, tending to a literal indoor jungle of household plants while watching the Utah Jazz — and pretending I don’t see my husband talking about buying a 5th grill. Yes, a *5th* grill, lol. I’d love to connect with other passionate professionals and mission-driven organizations on LinkedIn!
