Managing constant MS Teams messages at work

[BeachOrBeech]

I think my question is in two parts.

1. What is your workplace policy /custom / normal practice with Teams messaging. Are you expected to respond immediately? Is there an unspoken rule about what is sent by Teams, and what by email?

1. How do you manage constant Teams messages? It used to be that we used it for quick things - the equivalent of stuff you used to just say out loud to someone in an office eg where can I find document x, remind me what the accounts lady is called etc. Stuff that didn’t really interrupt you much. However proper work that you need to stop and spend time on (eg review a document) or refer to later (an agenda for a meeting in a week’s time) was sent by email/calendar invitation. These are increasingly coming by teams. I had good email organisation - flags, categories, filing etc. I could keep track just about, and the outlook search function has issues but is better than Teams for finding stuff. Now something is sent, then there is a discussion about something completely different and the big request is way back in the thread and can be overlooked, forgotten or just a nightmare to find to go back to.

This is just normal Teams chats/small grouos - not channels etc

Before you call me a dinosaur, say this is the way of the world etc - I get that, it is why I’m asking. I need help adapting! Any ideas welcome.

We use teams a lot. I answer as they come in generally but if I am just too busy I leave them unread so I know to go back to them.
Formal stuff is always email so it can be traced but everything else is teams

Teams is the bane of my life. We have a consultant on our project team who ‘strongly dislikes’ emails so the entire project has to communicate everything via Teams. We have chats about x, separate chats about y, and then a “social” chat where bollocks get talked about.

If you miss anything someone will find an old message and quote it. Not realising that there were then 40 other f’king messages after it that completely railroaded the chat and meant it was overlooked.

Arghhhhhhhhh!

We use teams as set out in your second point. Mostly day to day chat, slightly inappropriate gifs and quick questions.

Can you start responding with a standard 'please send this to me by email so I can ensure a timely and appropriate response ' or something similar, and hopefully people will start getting the message

Thank you. I have tried this week marking them unread but if that person sends me an unrelated message (this happens a lot) I have to remember to mark it unread again, and then the ‘thing’ that needs done is lost in the trail. Or worse they send me a second thing to do - how do I track remember that for that person there are two to-do’s?

This sums it up!

I don’t even open TEAMS unless I need it to attend an online meeting.

Sometimes we get new staff in from outside who send important messages via TEAMS. They quickly realise such messages can languish unseen for days, and they need to email to get a response.

Thanks, this is interesting. Yes, I think I’ll have to do this, though it does feel like I’m being rude, even though I’m not, I’m just drowning!

There is a way to add a particular comment to Planner - on the three dots I think.

I leave all chats on the sidebar until I have actioned them, then I right click and hide them.

Here is how

I have turned it off when I've been busy but the messages still come through! And it still pings even if I've locked my screen while I eg have lunch. AAAAAGH.

It is annoying, especially the people who say "Hello Igel" and then hang and wait for you to respond. I don't. I make them tell me what they want.

I do message people when they are green in the hope I'll get a quick reply when I need something but I accept that they may have very good reasons for not replying.

Our Teams chats get deleted after a short period of time anyway so people really should use email as the retention period for those is a lot longer.

I am more likely to forget to do a piece of work if the request is sent by teams as I use my emails as a to do list.

Ask for deadlines or give them your own deadline and ask if that works for them.

Agree it should be for chit chat and proper work stuff, requests or tasks require email.
I’d put it to your line manager or respond to colleagues Chats with ‘Will have a look in to this, but could you re send your request by email so I can add it to my to do list’

Where I work Teams is largely for social chat or for something that needs to be responded to urgently.

Everything else is email.

I pin messages I need to keep in the chat, they show at the top of the chat then - would that work?

I feel your pain though I hate the constant interruptions

"Can you please send me the details in an email. Thanks"

We use Teams all the time. I actually find it preferable to an email if the answer is quick.
also use it to create minutes of meetings and to hold shared files.

Tbh I think that kind of wording IS rude.

'Hi there, would you mind sending me this by email? Teams gets a bit crazy but I reply to all my emails by close of business. Thanks!'

Just as effective but without pissing people off.

We have an online system with numbered issues by project, all tracked, all public.

Then email for less formal stuff but still work, and can be flagged/forwarded etc.

Teams is just for small queries than anyone in the team could help with, chit chat about not-work, stupid gifs and work jokes. No need to reply if you are busy.

You're not really supposed to use Teams for stuff that needs an audit trail although I can't remember why not so that might have changed.
Either way anything formal needs to be sent by email.

I loathe huge Teams screeds, there's always something I miss. I love it for general chatter and a laugh.

Thank you, I’m going to look at this.

If someone sends me something in teams that I'll need to refer to later, or an attachment or a task that isn't an instant answer, I just email it to myself. But it doesn't happen that often.

If it is happening excessively I agree that it's reasonable to politely ask if they could email you instead.

I want to be like this, but I feel that the expectation at mine is that you are available on teams. I might try it though and see what happens.

We don’t have a specific policy but thankfully so far, my colleagues treat it like WhatsApp - it’s the place to ask a quick question and so I usually answer straight away.

We’re shifting more of our ops toward One Drive though so where we used to store and send documents on our own server, I’m slowly being added to more Teams channels and that means I’ve got docs sent to me on email as well as docs on One Drive. The transition is really annoying as like you, I quite like my nice folder set up. I’ll adapt but I do like to dig my heels in a bit first. 😂

I use Slack, not Teams and its much better in many ways (no read receipt for one thing!), but the point is, I use it as a tool for my convenience.

Essentially, if my CxO need me THAT urgently, then they will phone me, not rely on the chances of me being at my desk, not on a call or in a meeting, not in deep work, not with alerts paused etc. Otherwise I will give a certain amount of priority to senior colleagues when reading messages, but it's on the sender to choose an appropriate channel.

I also make heavy use of the (built-in) "remind me later" feature too, as I can get rid of the red dot on my to-read list but know it will come back at the appropriate time I set for it.