Good Job is Slate’s advice column on work. Have a workplace problem big or small? Send it to Laura Helmuth and Doree Shafrir here. (It’s anonymous!)
New from Slate’s advice family: Unhinged, a monthly dating column. Part advice, part investigation. Read the first edition now.
Dear Good Job,
I work full-time for a company that is 100 percent remote. My job is mostly independent—I have a few team meetings a week plus a weekly meeting with my manager, but other than that, my work is project-based and solo. I am writing because of Slack stress.
Because the whole company is remote, Slack is very important to the company culture. The “People” department has started lots of channels for varying interests, including pets and kids and TV shows, and then of course there are also channels for projects and teams. Team leads post about new projects in team channels, project channels, and company-wide channels, and there several posts a day detailing projects various people are working on. It’s nice to have so much transparency into what the rest of the company is doing, but it has no bearing on my actual job.
Mostly, I find Slack to be a terrible distraction. I don’t really understand how people are reading this stuff all day, much less posting it. Maybe once or twice a week I need to actually message with someone most of my communication with my manager is saved for our weekly meeting. Occasionally, he will message me on Slack, but never urgently. All of that said, I find myself terrified to leave my computer for even bathroom break because it will make me look “away” on Slack. I am always thinking about it when I’m working, worried that I’ve left the app ignored too long I will look “away.” I just feel chained to my computer in a way that I don’t really have to be other than being on Slack. I don’t even know if anyone even notices when I’m “online” or not, but it really stresses me out. How do other people navigate this?
—Slacking Off
Dear Slacking Off,
Isn’t it funny how all of these tools that were meant to make us more collaborative and productive are largely just big distractions? I’m a freelancer and I still find myself distracted by the (few!) Slack channels that I’m in. My recollection of Slack from when I worked full-time in an office was kind of what you describe: dozens of active channels, only a few of which were actually related to work. There were definitely people who seemed to be on Slack all day—did they ever get any of their work done? Unclear! I think some people can truly multitask and have Slack open while they also work, but for a lot of us, it’s really hard to stay focused when Slack notifications are going off every three seconds.
All of this to say, I really empathize with your plight here, and yet, I do wonder if you’re imagining an obligation to Slack at your workplace that doesn’t necessarily exist. You say that your manager doesn’t really communicate with you on Slack, and it would seem that he would be the most important person to be paying attention to there—if he were messaging you constantly and you weren’t responding, that might be cause of concern, but it seems like he has a remarkably healthy relationship with Slack. It seems like he’s not expecting you to be active on Slack that much either, so I’m wondering where this pressure about seeming available at all times is coming from. The fact that you describe yourself as “terrified” to leave your desk even to go to the bathroom because you’re worried you’ll look like you’re away is concerning me. I wonder if there’s some anxiety you have about work that you’re projecting fully onto Slack. I would try having an honest conversation with your manager (who, again, seems like he has a healthy view on Slack usage!) about what his expectations are for you on Slack. I cannot imagine that he’s expecting you to weigh in on the TV channel regularly, so just what does he expect from you and your Slack availability?
No one—and I mean no one—is on Slack all the time, and certainly everyone takes bathroom breaks! I hope you can figure out a way to have a healthier relationship with Slack at work, because the way you’re thinking about it now feels very stressful. I’ll be thinking of you!
Please keep questions short (<150 words), and don‘t submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication.
Thanks! Your question has been submitted.
Dear Good Job,
My current position is “senior manager,” but I do not manage anyone. I’m an independent contributor. I do manage projects, and soI herd cats in that way and manage people’s contributions, but I’ve never had anyone report to me directly. There is a job that I want to go for at another organization that requires experience as a people manager. Do you think that using my project management experience and my “senior manager” title is enough to apply? Or will I look stupid when they realize I’ve never managed a team? And if it’s the latter, how can I get this kind of experience? How do you manage people when you’ve never managed people?
—”Manager”
Dear “Manager,”
My Sister Uses the U.S. Postal Service to Harass Our Family. She Expects Me to Help Her.
I Hit It Off With a Guy at a Party. Then He Pulled the One Infuriating Dating Move Everyone Seems to Be Doing These Days.
I say go for it! Worst case is they decide that your experience doesn’t quite align with what they’re looking for, but you’ll never know unless you actually apply. I would also write out a script for a potential interview where you make the case for how your current role requires a lot of people managing, even without any direct reports.
In terms of how you can get this kind of experience, I think the best place to start is at your current workplace. Have a conversation with your manager about your career path and explain to them that you’re interested in becoming a manager. I’m guessing they will be excited about this, because great managers (and people who are excited about managing) are somewhat rare in my experience—all too often, people get promoted to managing people because it’s the next step in their career, whether or not they actually want to be managing people. If your manager says they think you’re not ready, ask them what it would take for them to feel confident in you taking on a direct report or two. Is there a course you could take? Could you shadow any managers at work? I’m hoping that you’ll be able to seamlessly transition into a new role at your current job, which will make applying for the next role in your career that much easier. Best of luck.
—Doree
More Work Advice From Slate
My current job sucks. It’s inconsistent, exhausting, and often involves lots of unpaid work that can push your per hour earnings below minimum wage. In an effort to ameliorate this situation, I recently began taking on some small administrative work for the company under the promise that it would be more consistent and less time intensive. Reviewing job applications has become a huge pain point.
Get the latest from Prudie and our columnists in your inbox each weekday, plus special bonus letters on Saturdays.