You know the move:
You: “hello” + send.
Them: stare + wait.
Momentum dies. Context switches. Everyone loses.

“Hello-only” is the Slack equivalent of tapping someone on the shoulder and walking away. It creates a cliffhanger without the episode. The fix isn’t complicated—but it is a habit. Let’s build the habit.

Why “hello” is a productivity tax

• Latency: You add a full round-trip before the real question even lands.
• Context switching: The recipient can’t decide whether to triage, delegate, or ignore because there’s nothing to assess.
• Lost async: Async works when messages are self-contained. “Hello” is the opposite.

If you want a quick explainer to share with your team, the spirit of nohello (nohello.net/en) says it plainly: say the thing you came to say—up front.

Async done right: send the whole message

Async is a trust exercise. You trust that I’ll read thoughtfully; I trust that you’ve packed everything I need to make a decision or take action without a back-and-forth volley.

Use this simple skeleton to make messages instantly actionable:

1. Context – What is this about? Why now?
2. Ask – What do you want me to do? (review/approve/decide/answer)
3. When – Deadline or “no rush.” Include your time zone.
4. Assets – Link the doc, issue, channel, screenshots.
5. Definition of done – What does “success” look like?
6. Fallback – Who else or what to do if you’re unavailable.

Examples (copy/paste friendly)

Instead of: “hello”
Try:
“Hey @Alex — can you review the Q3 deck today by 4pm MT? Slides 8 & 12 need accuracy checks on CAC. Doc: <link>. ‘Done’ = comments resolved + ✅ on the doc. If you’re out, @Riley can sub.”

Instead of: “got a sec?”
Try:
“Quick decision needed: Should we ship the welcome email with the new preheader? Options A/B in <link>. I lean A because CTR was +12% last test. If I don’t hear back by 2pm MT, I’ll ship A.”

Instead of: “question about the report”
Try:
“I’m debugging the weekly revenue report. The totals dropped 9% WoW. I suspect the filter change from ‘all orders’ to ‘paid only.’ Can you confirm the LookML last changed by @Priya on 8/4? Screenshot + query in <link>. Ideal by EOD; otherwise tomorrow AM is fine.”

Pro tip: if you’re tempted to send “hello,” type your full message first, then hit Enter. Shift+Enter gives you a new line so you don’t fire off a cliffhanger halfway through.

Public channels > DMs (most of the time)

Public-by-default isn’t about performative transparency. It’s about building an internal knowledge base automatically.

Why channels win

• Searchable answers: One answer helps ten people tomorrow.
• Fewer repeat questions: Questions get asked once, not five times in five DMs.
• Load balancing: The right expert can jump in without being invited.
• Onboarding: New teammates read history and self-serve context.
• Bus factor: Information survives vacations, departures, and time zones.

When channels make sense

• “Would anyone else benefit from seeing this?” → Channel.
• “Does this decision impact more than two people?” → Channel.
• “Is this a status, FYI, or pattern we want to see again?” → Channel.
• “Could the answer help Future Us?” → Channel.

When DMs are the right choice

There are good reasons to go private:

• Sensitive topics: HR, personal feedback, confidential customer info.
• Pre-decision alignment: Two people converging before bringing a draft to a channel.
• Time-critical nudges: “We’re live in 5—are you joining?”
• 1:1 coaching: A quick screen share or huddle to unblock something personal.

When a private conversation produces something the team needs, summarize the outcome in the channel: “TL;DR from DM: we’re moving forward with Option B; rollout next Tuesday. Details in the doc.”

A simple decision tree (commit this to muscle memory)

• Would at least one other person benefit? Yes → Channel.
• Does it contain sensitive info? Yes → DM or private channel.
• Is it a request with a due date? Yes → Channel + @-mention the responsible owner.
• Is it purely social (“how was your trip?”)? DM or social channel, your call.

Make channels work for you

• Write a real subject line: First sentence should carry the headline: “Request: approval on Q3 deck by Wed.”
• Use threads: Keep updates, Q&A, and decisions in one place.
• Close the loop: When it’s resolved, reply in thread with “✅ Done,” the outcome, and links.
• Pin/bookmark: Pin the canonical doc or checklist in the channel.
• Lightweight signals: Use :eyes: to signal “looking,” :white_check_mark: for “done,” :hourglass_flowing_sand: for “queued.”
• Schedule send: Respect time zones; send it to land during their workday.
• Set status: “Deep work until 1pm MT — slow replies” sets expectations without DMs.

Team norms worth adopting this week

• No-hello rule: First message includes the ask, links, and timing.
• Reply-in-thread default: Reduces noise and keeps context.
• Owner-first mentions: @mention the person who’s accountable, not the whole channel.
• SLA clarity: e.g., “Channel replies within 24h; @mentions within 4h; truly urgent = call/handoff.”
• Outcome summaries: Decisions get a one-line recap in the channel with links.

Snippets you can turn into text-expansion or /snippets

Help request

“Help needed: [thing]. Context: [1–2 sentences]. Blocker: [what’s stuck]. Asset(s): [link]. Ask: [review/answer/decide]. Deadline: [date, time, TZ]. Fallback: [alternate contact].”

Review/approval

“Approval request for [artifact]. What changed: [bullets]. What to check: [bullets]. Decision needed by [time/TZ]. ‘Done’ = [emoji or checklist]. Link: [doc].”

Status update

“Status — [project]: Since last update [bullets]; Risks [bullets]; Next [bullets]; Need from you [ask + when].”

Fixing “hello” culture without being a jerk

You don’t need to police people. Model the behavior and nudge kindly:

• When someone DMs “hello,” reply with your full ask in the same message to show the pattern.
• Share the team’s no-hello norm in channel topics or a short pinned message.
• Offer a template: “To help async, try this format…” and drop the skeleton above.

Try this mini-challenge

For the next 5 workdays:

1. Post at least one question in a public channel that you would’ve DM’d.
2. Use the async skeleton for every request.
3. Close at least one thread with a crisp “✅ Outcome” summary.

Measure two things:

• Time-to-answer (you’ll see it drop).
• Forwarding (“Oh hey, this thread already solved it”)—that’s your knowledge base working.

—

If this clicked, share it with your team and agree on the norm: no more cliffhangers. Say the thing you came to say—up front, in the right place, with the right context. That’s Slack Zen.