Stop DMing your co-workers

As remote/hybrid ways of working become normalised, how we communicate is even more critical.

It's not always as easy as spinning around on your chair and having a chat with your team. Social norms feel a bit different online. Maybe you don't want to add to the noise. Maybe you think it's a silly question. Maybe it's just habit — you're used to having 1:1 conversations in real life, so when you're working remotely you reach for the digital analogue — the DM.

But I want you to consider ditching DMs for good.

People who've worked with me over the past few years probably think I sound like a broken record, but when I get a DM that's a problem/question/idea about our systems or ways of working, I usually suggest they take it to a public channel and put it to the team.

By making conversations public you:

💡 Get insights or ideas from other team members

🫴 Allow others to jump in and support you if the person you've DM'd isn't available

🔍 Make your impact visible to managers and peers

💪 Build confidence and help build your team's psychological safety

😵‍💫 Avoid confusion and misunderstandings

DMs are great for gossip and organising lunch — for everything else, make it public.