Many of you have waited for the possibility of scheduling chat messages in Microsoft Teams, just as we have been able to postpone emails for quite some time. While it does have its value, I would use this feature carefully and only when it makes sense. Otherwise, you risk fostering an unhealthy work culture.
NOTE: This post does not entail how the scheduling works. Here is an image of how it looks, and you can read more via this link: Schedule chat messages in TeamsScheduling a chat message in Microsoft Teams
When it makes sense
It makes sense to delay messages when you have a planned communication, which needs to be announced at a specific time and date.
When it doesn’t make sense:
It does not make sense to delay messages while doing everyday work. Hear me out:
A new era
In order to enable productive work during 2023, we need to adapt to a new way of thinking. An office is a tool (not a must) that is better used in some situations, and sometimes work is better done asynchronously no matter where and when.
In order for this to work, we need to focus more on output (what the employee produces) and establish trust, less on input (the hours put in) and making sure people work at certain times and places.
I’m 100% confident I produce better work in less time when energized and can focus.
Most of us have some work that can be done whenever and wherever, and you might find yourself doing that work at an odd hour. The reasons may vary; you might have run errands during the day, had some logistics around the kids, or had a bad headache and decided to pause work for the time being.
The reason is irrelevant - work when you are productive, whenever possible. For the sake of you and the rest of your coworkers and customers, you should never have to worry about postponing an email or a chat message.
Knowing the best time for others to receive a chat or email is impossible.
They might be in a similar situation as you, working late or early. Or the recipient(s) might be from various time zones.
EVERYONE - Handle your own notifications!
It’s essential to take responsibility for your notifications. Otherwise, you will “drown” in them with both private and business messages. Please look at the links in the end of the post if you need some guidance.
Summary and call for action
So finally, please help foster a healthy work culture where we can work whenever and wherever we are productive and where it’s ok to send messages at any given hour.
Create initiatives for raising awareness in the organization regarding how to configure notifications.
Make use of focus time, quiet hours, and make use of Focus-mode in IOS or Android to manage sleep and “Do not disturb”.
Bottom line: make no more excuses and learn how to manage your notification settings. If you don’t want to be bothered - it’s up to you!
