Communication Norms

On any team, there are wildly varying expectations across individuals re: how quickly an email should be responded to, what communication channel should be used for emergencies, etc. When team members have different expectations around communication, and those expectations are not met, communication breaks down and people can start to harbor frustration, or even resentment, against each other.

This workshop gets people talking openly about their own communication expectations so that differences can be surfaced and discussed. This process enables teams to get on the same page, reduce friction, and be more productive overall.

A facilitated discussion designed to surface individual beliefs and expectations around communication channels, discuss those differences, and work together on a consensus-based agreement addressing the following:

• Internal service level agreements (SLAs) for email and messaging

• External SLAs for email, phone, etc.

• Which communication channels will be used for which types of information

• Whether no communication/no meeting periods should be defined, and if so, what are the guidelines