At Avuba, we always try to get better, be more focused, learn faster and become more efficient. Just like everyone else, we have to communicate with our team members day in and day out. I want to share some principles of how we communicate. We might not be perfect, but we are getting better every day:

Communication is key. In order to be efficient and get your stuff done, you have to get information from someone else. Yet, bluntly interrupting your coworkers at their desk won’t make you friends and won’t make the company faster.

So, how do you get others to help you while being least interruptive? There are 7 different ways to communicate with your team members:

#1 At the coffee machine

You’ve got something non-urgent and not-so-important to share with someone? Small news on your project’s progress? Latest gossip? Something easy where you don’t need important feedback? Wait till you meet the person in the office. At the coffee machine, the copier or smoking. People do these things to get a short break from whatever they were working on. That’s the best moment to update them with light stuff. You even get light answers. But don’t expect smart answers to complex topics. Having a break and complex topics don’t fit. Example: Discovered some funny aspect of your project? Plug it during a break!

#2 Instant Messages / Chat

Sometimes you need an important detail fast. Chat is best for easy-to-answer questions. Mostly, these are yes/no questions that doesn’t take the other to think a lot. Also, quick updates work well. Here, the recipient can answer quickly if it fits their workflow. They won’t get too much distracted and you get your answer. However, never try to discuss big topics. You are completely pulling the recipient away from whatever task they were on. Plus, text can’t transport the nuances in speach required for complex topics. Stick to easy stuff that you need fast. Move complex stuff to meetings. Example: Want to know if the big client has replied? Ask a quick yes/no question via chat!

#3 Emails

Emails work best when you can summarize the issue in a few lines, yet the recipient most likely needs to think about it. You can take your time to think and write. The recipient can take his or her time to read, think and answer. Since this is asynchronous, both of you can use the other’s thinking-time to work on your own stuff. When asking about what to do, superstars include three possible solutions, with pros and cons as well as a suggested solution. That reduces effort on the recipient and results in faster responses. Example: Want feedback on a decision? Write an email, suggest three solutions, discuss pros/cons and add a suggestion!

#4 Standup Meetings

You have an issue that is most likely to be resolved easily? Yet, you expect questions from others involved that are too complex for email? Pull them together for a standup meeting where you gather standing in the hallway. Since nobody want’s to stand endlessly, you ensure that the meeting is fast and to the point. Quickly summarize the context of the issue, suggest three solutions with pros/cons and suggest one solution. If everyone approves, go back to work. Example: Aligning everyone on the next steps regarding your project.

#5 Small meetings

You’ve got a complex issue that can be discussed by a small group of people in a fast way? You expect questions, uncertainties and feedback from others? Use a small meeting. Brief everyone upfront of the agenda and give them all info so they can prepare. Asana is a great help here. During the meeting, lead the group through each point, write down and assign deliverables and close with a wrap up. Example: Have weekly progress meetings on your current project.

Small meetings can act as a formal kick-off of a new project. Get everyone together, explain the background and goals of the project, define next steps and deliverables and wrap up. This ensures that everyone “feels” that a new project has started. Everyone is motivated and eager to get going. New projects are always exciting. Example: Kick-off an iniciative to improve customer support response times.

#6 Large meetings

Only use large meetings if really necessary. These meetings are reserved for issues that touch eveyone and/or are super complex. When everyone on the team needs to be aligned, needs to be informed or should contribute something. Most the time these are weekly team updates. But large meetings also make sense if the whole team needs to agree on certain aspects. E.g. offices hours, self-improvement efforts, etc. Having everyone contributed to and agreed on a solution makes everyone follow through since they have been part of the decision.

#7 Direct approach

This is the most dangerous way of communicating. People that are currently making something (writing software, designing, excel sheets) are wired in. It’s their most productive state of mind. It takes about 15 minutes to get into “the zone” and some time to get out. Say, you want to ask a question that takes someone currently wired-in 30 seconds to answer. You would need 60 seconds to answer that question. Asking that person saves time, right? No, by distracting someone wired-in, you ask that person to get out of their context (30 seconds), get into your context (20 seconds), answer your question (30 seconds), then get back into their context (15 minutes). You effecively wasted 15+ minutes.

Instead: Ask via chat if that person is available (easy yes/no question) and see above.