This reduces the likelihood that I mindlessly go down some rabbit hole that is not actually in line with my priorities for the day. I’m setting my intention for the next period of time. When I set my emoji to be “Deep Work,” it’s in my best interest to not actually be on twitter or reading articles. However, we found team accountability isn’t the biggest advantage of using Slack Statuses. Ten at night would usually be a break time. Everyone has their own working style but it’s important to have time for full breaks in order to avoid burnout. When a teammate is in “Deep Work” at ten at night, that can also be worth discussing. When a teammate doesn’t have enough uninterrupted Deep Work, we can look into what busy-work or other challenges are getting in the way. Statuses create a good opportunity for reflection as a team. Slack Statuses help us hold one another accountable in how we spend our time. Deep Breaks allow us to recharge and enjoy time outside of work. There are two factors that have resulted in each of us spending more time in Deep Work or in Deep Break/Out of Office:Īs a team, we especially value Deep Work and Deep Breaks.

Select your photo/avatar in the top right to view settings. The last few weeks, we’ve been experimenting with using a set of 4 emojis to denote our current status at work: Deep Work, Deep Break, Out of Office (OOO), In a meeting.Įach of us sets a Slack Status as we transition throughout the day. It takes a little more effort to recreate it, but it can be worthwhile and provide benefits beyond teammate visibility. With Work From Home, you don’t have this same type of visibility. If it’s urgent, you send a page and go looking. If you have a non-urgent question, you save it for later. When you’re in the office, it’s also obvious when your colleague is on a break. If it’s urgent, you interrupt and get all hands on deck. If your question isn’t urgent, you save it for later. She’s in the zone, with her eyes glued to the screen. You look over and see that she’s deep in some code. In the office, it’s pretty obvious when your colleague is in Deep Work.

Slack status