31 Aug Slack Fills the Communication Needs of Constantly-On-the-Go Global Mobility Specialists

Emailing your team just doesn’t cut it anymore. If you work with more two people and others are from different parts of the world, or you yourself are mobile, as in you’re a global mobility specialist, you might just want to try Slack; that is, if you’re not doing it already.

From small lean startup to giant multinationals like Coca-Cola, Expedia, Zappos, and NASA, Slack has become the messaging tool of choice, especially when it comes to bringing all communication in one place. The interface and the way it integrates different apps such as Dropbox and Google Drive simply make all teams communicate better.

The ingenuity of Slack is that it keeps communications in one place, while allowing the different team members various levels of privacy. Skype conversations, email threads, and text messages can be accessed from one focal point. So are the tons of research, documents, spreadsheets, and Powerpoints that you need to regularly consult and read. This beats doing a “search” on your email inbox every time you have to get a particular file. Files are also easily shared, without having to dig through tons of content just to find the necessary link.

Collaborating via Slack simply gets any job done in the quickest and most efficient time possible. And while some global mobility specialists use social media sites like Facebook and Instagram to interact with assignees, Slack frees teams from other distractions like the neighbor’s new post of his new baby or a showbusiness news feed announcing a pop star’s latest scandal.

Since sifting through email is tough in itself, Slack narrows the choices and selections based on the channels (think TV channels, only they can talk back to you) you also create for yourself and for your teams. It’s great at making distinctions which team you are working with (who should be part of which team; who should be in the other team.).

You can create separate teams from the talents you deal with per country or per occupation, for instance. Channels keep things organized by creating categories according to topics, email exchanges, team member names, and a dozen variations. They also introduce layers of various sub-groups with corresponding security measures. All team members can chat in one big group, but then create smaller ones for those who have to work directly with each other, like Sales and Marketing with Accounting not necessarily being included.

Another advantage that channels provide is creating categories for the many functions and tasks that global mobility specialists do. Your responsibilities cause you to wear many hats, dabbling in operations this morning, pushing pencils for accounting this afternoon, and then networking in search of potential hires at evening cocktails. To-do lists won’t be enough to cover and sort them out, but Slack channels can lay out an orderly system..

If you’re not using Slack yet, because you think it will only be eclipsed by other communication productivity tools, the messaging-tool brainchild of Stewart Butterfield now has many users, at least 1.25 million users. It has taken corporate America by storm, and investors have noticed. After only three years since its launch, Butterfield’s company has been valued at $2.8 billion.

Clearly, Slack is for teams who are serious about their work. And while LinkedIn does bring communities of like-minded professionals together, Slack narrows its sphere to colleagues working together, whether it’s for one company or a project.  This exclusivity allows a certain comfort and confidentiality among members working online. Again it also keeps out unnecessary elements and keeps the team focused. Team members can keep up with each other and make sure they are on the same page — an important aspect especially in ensuring project completion or team collaboration, wherever your talent or contact may be.