2.3 KiB
2.3 KiB
| name | description |
|---|---|
| choosing-a-comms-channel | Pick the right channel for a message instead of defaulting to whichever one is easiest to reach for. A fire-and-forget message is fine for pure notification with no expected reply. A tracked question needing a recorded decision belongs in a mechanism that threads the answer back to you, not a channel with no reply path. An issue-shaped question or decision belongs where the surrounding context already lives (the tracked item itself), not a side channel a future reader won't find. Ongoing back-and-forth belongs in a real conversational channel, not a one-shot send. Use this whenever you're about to communicate and there's more than one way to do it. |
Choosing a Comms Channel
Different messages want different channels. Picking the wrong one doesn't just look sloppy - it actively loses information (a reply that never reaches you) or buries context (a decision made somewhere a future reader won't think to look).
Match the channel to what you actually need
- Pure fire-and-forget notification, no reply expected - a dashboard-visible one-way message is fine. Don't reach for a conversational channel just to say something that needs no response.
- A specific decision you need recorded, that threads an answer back to you - use a mechanism built for exactly that (queues cleanly, the answer comes back attached to the question). This matters for anything you'll need to point back to later - a gated approval, a go/no-go call.
- An issue-shaped question or decision - post it where the surrounding context already lives (the tracked item itself), not in a side channel. A future reader looking at that item should find the reasoning there, not have to go hunting through chat history for why a decision was made.
- Quick back-and-forth, status checks, anything conversational - use a real two-way conversational channel if you have one, rather than a one-shot message that doesn't invite a reply.
The underlying test
Before sending, ask: "if I need an answer, does this channel actually deliver one back to me? If someone reads this in a week, will they find it where the rest of the context already is?" If either answer is no, you've picked the wrong channel for what you're trying to do.