Remote and hybrid teams have rapidly become the norm over the past few years. And with over 56% of workers now operating off-site at least some of the time, relying on efficient digital communication channels is essential.
As the leading business chat platform, Slack aims to connect distributed teams through quick conversations, automated workflows, and sophisticated integrations. With over 30 million daily active users at over 100,000 organizations, Slack has dominated the enterprise communications space.
And they recently introduced a new way for teams to coordinate called Huddles. Combining messaging, audio, video, and screen sharing, Huddles enable rapid collaboration between colleagues.
But being a relatively new addition, you may be unclear on what Huddles entail and how to properly utilize them. Let‘s walk through what this offering includes and the best practices around these quick fire team huddles.
What Makes Slack Huddles Unique
Huddles exist right within your normal Slack interface, allowing for instant sessions with any channel members or direct message contacts.
With just a few clicks, you can be chatting verbally, seeing teammates on video, presenting slides, and privately messaging – then instantly be back to working when the huddle concludes.
This means you avoid the formality of scheduled meetings and can connect spontaneously when needed.
Here are some of the core capabilities that set huddles apart:
Audio – Crystal clear voice chat, even for large huddles
Video – Active speaker spotlight plus gallery view options
Screen Share – Present slides, documents, designs, etc
Chat – Seamlessly message other participants
Captions – Real-time text transcriptions of the conversation
And everything occurs natively within Slack without any plugins required.
But how exactly do these functions translate to enhancing your team‘s coordination and productivity?
Key Advantages of Slack Huddles
Huddles create a unique middle ground between conversations in channels and formal meetings – the best of both worlds in many respects.
Quick Collaboration
Need to rapidly brainstorm concepts, discuss workflows, or make a decision? Huddles allow you to spontaneously connect with exactly who you need for quick iterations and feedback.
No scheduling meetings, calendar invites, or other delays. Just toggle the headphones icon and start collaborating within seconds.
Informal Environment
While great for maintaining alignment, meetings can sometimes feel overly stiff. Huddles foster more casual, free-flowing interactions.
You get the face-to-face conversations crucial for relationship building without the bureaucracy of rigid agendas.
Avoid Unnecessary Interruptions
Engaging the whole company or even an entire team isn‘t always warranted. But pulling specific colleagues into a focused huddle prevents wasting the time of those uninvolved.
This makes huddles perfect for specialized subgroups that need to coordinate frequently around shared projects and tasks.
Visually Share Information
Seeing something live makes all the difference when collaborating. With screen sharing in huddles, you can showcase works in progress, explain changes, review designs, and more.
That high bandwidth connection facilitates active participation rather than just passively listening to static updates.
Enable Private Side Conversations
You can directly message individual huddle participants for private sidebar conversations without actually leaving the huddle.
This is great for quick clarifications, feedback, or anything else better suited for a 1:1 exchange.
How Do Huddles Compare to Other Communication Modes?
We‘ve covered the unique strengths of huddles, but how do they compare to other tools on Slack for team coordination? Here is a breakdown:
| Feature | Messaging | Calls | Meetings | Huddles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Video | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Screen Share | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Chat | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Transcripts | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Recording | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Calendar Integration | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Key Takeaways
- Messaging: Quick updates but lacks verbal/visual interaction
- Calls: Simple voice conversations getting removed from Slack
- Meetings: Powerful but overly formal for quick syncs
- Huddles: Lightweight mixed-media collaboration
As this illustrates, huddles strike an ideal balance between the conversational nature of calls and the robust functionality of meetings.
Best Practices for Productive Huddles
Like any tool, the key is using huddles effectively to see benefits. Here are a few best practices as a remote or hybrid team:
Establish Guidelines Upfront
Make sure everyone understands the purpose and etiquette around huddles. This includes muting when not speaking, enabling video, and so on.
Covering communication norms aligns expectations and prevents confusion.
Have a Clear Purpose
Don‘t default to a huddle just because. Make sure there is a specific gap that needs filled – problem solving, feedback sharing, decision making, etc.
Huddles work best for narrowly defined needs between specialized subgroups.
Follow Up in Shared Channels
Important insights, action items, commitments, and other output from huddles should live somewhere searchable afterwards.
Recapping in a team or project channel ensures nothing gets lost in the ether.
Embed in Workflows
Rather than one-off huddles, integrate them into existing routines around recurring collaboration needs.
That might be a daily triage huddle, weekly brainstorming session, or sprint kickoff for example.
Review Usage and Metrics
Keep tabs on how often, when, why, and between whom huddles are occurring. This allows optimizing norms and clarifying value.
Are there gaps where huddles could be useful but aren‘t happening regularly? Vice versa? Analyze adoption trends.
Troubleshooting Common Huddle Issues
Of course no new technology is without growing pains. Here is some troubleshooting guidance around huddle problems that may arise:
Audio Quality Glitches
- Check device permissions and microphone settings
- Switch audio input/output to alternate devices
- Turn off background noise filtering features
Video Freezing
- Disable screen sharing when not presenting
- Reduce huddle size if internet bandwidth is low
- Close unnecessary programs using memory
Can‘t Hear or See Participants
- Ask user to toggle off/on audio and video controls
- Ensure necessary hardware like camera, mic, and speakers work properly
- Move to less noisy location if background disruption
Can‘t Share Screen
- Update display permissions and browser extensions
- Share application window rather than full display
- Confirm presenter mode option is enabled
Summing Up Key Benefits
By combining the conversational aspects of calls with the mixed-media capabilities of meetings, huddles empower teams through quick, contextual, and visual collaboration.
The informal environment fosters organic interactions and relationships crucial for distributed teams. Screen sharing provides high bandwidth communication without the overhead of rigid scheduling.
So if you ever find yourself needing to rapidly sync with a few colleagues – start a huddle and start collaborating in seconds.
Just be sure to share any key takeaways in shared channels afterwards!
I hope this guide gives you a comprehensive overview of huddles to leverage them effectively. Now let‘s get back to examining specifically how to exit an active session.
