Inclusive ways of working in a multi‑channel world
Updated: Sep 16
Post-Covid, our workplaces seem to rely on a mix of remote communication methods more than ever. Juggling emails, Teams chats, channels, SharePoint sites, and comments in shared documents has become the norm.
Whilst this flexibility is great in many ways, it can create unseen barriers. When messages arrive across multiple platforms with competing priorities and expectations, some colleagues may find it harder to keep track and respond.
This can particularly affect people who experience attention‑related challenges, those who process information differently, or those who use assistive technology.
The hidden inclusivity challenges of multi-channel working
Hidden challenges colleagues might be facing include:
high notification load making it difficult to focus on, or identify, what matters
fast‑moving chat threads that are hard to follow or revisit later, or interupt the functionality of assistive technologies
long or dense emails that take time to process or understand
unclear expectations about urgency, deadlines, or required actions
frequent channel switching, which can be physically or cognitively demanding
important information living in chats that not all team members have access to
Recognising the barriers that multi-channel working imposes on us by default can help us to regain control and design ways of working that…work.
This will be true, even for colleagues who don’t rely on assistive technology. For example, those trying to ‘catch up’ when coming back to work after a period of annual leave, parental leave, or sickness absence.
Set a clear purposes for each channel of communication
One of the simplest ways to reduce barriers is to set time aside for a ‘ways of working’ session. This is where you and your team openly discuss and agree what you’re going to use each channel for. This removes guesswork and helps everyone know where to look for what they need, when they need it. Ideally, you should hold this session at the start of a project, but you can arrange a session at any time.
If you do plan to run a ways of working session, here are some suggestions you can use as a starting point for your discussions. Sending them to colleagues in advance will help to give everybody a chance to process the suggestions and think about what might work best.
Email might be best for:
actions and decisions that are needed
formal project or organisational updates
information that needs to be kept on record
Avoid using email for:
questions that need a quick response from any knowledgeable team member that’s free to respond
attaching and sharing files that everyone needs access to
discussing what everyone got up to at the weekend
Teams chats
Teams chat might be best for:
quick, less formal, queries such as ‘does anybody know how to...’
seeking clarification from others on a 121 basis
working ‘out loud’ such as asking if somebody is free to proof-read a document
Teams chat might not be best for:
recording decisions
raising risks
long discussions
time‑sensitive tasks, unless agreed in advance
Teams channels
Teams Channels might be best for:
sharing project updates
linking to shared documents
Teams Channels might not be best for:
personal conversations
one‑off questions that don’t need visibility or the input of everyone
In-person and remote meetings
In-person or remote meetings might be best for:
discussion that help decision making
complex topics that need minuting
alignment of views and stakeholder groups
sensitive discussions
In-person or remote meetings might not be best for:
topics without a clear purpose or outcome
Make priorities and timescales clear
Before you send a message, ask yourself whether you’ve been as clear as possible about why you’re sending it. A few simple changes can help to reduce any cognitive load you may unintentionally be placing on others, and will help you to get the best out of your team.
Consider these tactics:
Use labels or email subject lines that include categories such as: [For action], [For info], [Decision Needed], and agree what these mean with your team in advance.
Put important deadlines in the first line of the message. For example: “Please review this by Thursday at 3pm. If you can’t make this timescale…”
If something isn’t urgent, make this clear: “No action needed today.”
Avoid vague phrases like 'ASAP', 'soon', or 'later'. They will mean different things to different people.
Summarise long threads with a clear 'Summary' heading and the 3 or 4 bullet points the recipient really needs to know.
If you’re including somebody in an email for information only purposes, put their name in the ‘CC’ field. If somebody needs to take an action, include them in the ‘To’ field.
These small habits can make effective communication part of your culture, help improve inclusivity, and make it more likely you’ll get the response you need from others.
Reduce notification overload
Notifications can be overwhelming, especially when they arrive in bursts. You can help colleagues who find them challenging by agreeing to:
only use @mentions when someone needs to take an action
combine thoughts into a single message instead of sending multiple
schedule any messages you might need to send outside of working hours so the recipients receive them within core office hours. If you can’t do this, add a note clarifying that you don’t expect a response outside of office hours
show team members how to add ‘priority contacts’ so they can limit the notifications they receive
Make information easy to find later
Some colleagues rely on structure to help avoid losing track of work. You can support others if you and your team:
store a link to documents in shared locations rather than adding them as email attachments. This also helps avoid any issues with version control
use descriptive subject lines and channel post titles, so people can search for them. You might want to agree a format for these as a team
summarise decisions in a consistent place, such as a shared log
create a predictable folder structure for shared files.
use short file names that front load keywords so they work for users of voice access software or screen readers
On-boarding new team members
Any processes you introduce will only be as good as the people who implement them. Remember to on-board new team members (including contractors or third parties) so they understand what has been agreed, and have a chance to input.
This also opens up the conversation about accessibility and inclusion and may give the person joining the team the safety they need to share their preferred ways of working with you.
On-boarding new team members will also serve as a helpful reminder as to what has been agreed, for everybody. It may be an opportunity to flag what is or isn't working well and introduce new ideas.
Key takeaway
Pro-actively managing the way you work across multiple channels is a practical way to support colleagues with different working styles, reduce stress, and help build psychological safety.
