DMs Aren’t Doing Your Team Any Favors
Chat tools like Slack have revolutionized how we collaborate. However, over reliance on direct messages (DMs) is hurting your team!
DMs may feel efficient, but they create knowledge silos, erode team transparency, and slow down collaboration. This is especially damaging in remote teams, where visibility into each other’s work is already limited.
For new team members, the stakes are highest. Private conversations shut them out of critical learning moments, making it harder to onboard, grasp team dynamics, and contribute effectively. Without access to open discussions, they miss out on valuable insights and the chance to ask clarifying questions.
Is Your Organization DM Heavy?
The public cannot see DMs, it’s hard to guage how prevalent they are in an organization. Fortunately, Slack publishes workspace analytics, usually accessible to all workspace members.
Among other metrics, Slack publishes the percentage breakdown of messages users send and read in public channels, private channels, and direct messages.
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A high DM ratio, like in the analytics screenshot below, is a red flag. It’s a clear sign that leaders need to address the team’s communication culture, encouraging more conversations to happen out in the open.
The False Comfort of Private Chats
Some common assumptions that drive people toward DMs are:
- No one else will care about this topic. People often assume their conversation is only relevant to one or two people. In reality, open discussions invite unexpected insights from team members who weren’t initially involved.
- I don’t want to flood the team with irrelevant messages. The fear of creating noise is valid, but modern tools like Slack are designed to mitigate this. Channels and threads allow for compartmentalized discussions that won’t overwhelm the team.
- DMs are faster. I’ll admit this one is true. A DM is likely to get the attention of the recipient quicker — which is exactly why it should be sparingly used for truly immediate situations. Keep in mind that it excludes the rest of the team from potentially valuable information.
- People will judge me. Fear of being judged often goes hand in hand with the ever-present imposter syndrome. Many avoid posting in public channels, worried they’ll be seen as inexperienced or judged harshly. This is where senior members and leaders come in — it’s their responsibility to create the right environment for junior members to have open conversations.
Create a Culture of Openness
Leaders play a huge role in setting the tone for open communication and building a culture of transparency and psychological safety. Leaders should strive to:
- Encourage open discussions. Leaders should promote the idea that asking questions publicly is a sign of strength, not weakness. Newcomers, in particular, need to feel comfortable contributing without fear of judgment.
- Lead by example. Senior team members and managers must model the behavior they expect from others. If team leaders start discussions in public channels, the rest of the team will follow, making open communication the norm.
Kick the DM Habit
Changing from private to public conversations takes effort, but it’s essential for creating a truly collaborative team. Some thoughts about making it stick:
- Break the fear of judgement. Many avoid public channels out of fear of looking inexperienced or asking “dumb” questions. Embrace vulnerability. Open discussions promote transparency and create a space where everyone learns.
- Default to Public. Start with the assumption that everything belongs in a public channel and only switch to a DM when confidentiality is necessary. The more you practice this, the more it can be natural.
- Start Small, Build Big. You don’t need to overhaul your entire communication style overnight. Start by making small adjustments — move just one or two discussions a day from DMs to public channels.
DMs Still Have a Place
I am not advocating a complete ban on DMs, they still serve an essential purpose. Some examples that come to mind:
- Sensitive or Private Conversations. Not everything belongs in a public channel. Performance feedback, personal issues, or sensitive company matters should remain private. DMs are the perfect choice in these cases.
- Social Chats. Building rapport through informal chats is important for remote teams. Sometimes, casual 1-on-1 conversations can help teammates bond without cluttering work channels. If it is not a work-related discussions, DMs are fine.
Bottomline
The shift from DMs to public channels isn’t just a tweak — it’s a mindset change that can supercharge collaboration. When conversations happen in the open, teams can create an inclusive environment where everyone can learn, contribute, and thrive.
