Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
Want to get face-to-face in Slack? Now it’s possible to video chat with your group. Here’s how.
Click on the Phone icon at the top of the screen.
Tag: Slack
A tisk-it a task-it: Automate Tasks from Slack to Asana Using Zapier
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
Even if you began using “team communication” tools with IRC, you can appreciate Slack’s virtues, such as automation features and connectivity with other tools. For instance, you can send a task straight to Asana (a full-featured task management system), which creates a solid connection between team communication and the action items on which to follow up.
Even better, using a tool like Zapier to connect Slack to Asana can save time and help with task delegation. Instead of adding a task to two separate applications — once to Slack and again to Asana — you can click on the star on the Slack item and Asana is updated.
It’s surprisingly easy to set this up, though the initial configuration includes a few steps to ensure everything is connected correctly.
Read MoreSet Up Reminders and Appointments (For You AND Your Team) in Slack
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
We all have multiple systems and devices for reminding us about appointments and tasks. The one flaw in most of them however, is the fact that you can only set reminders for yourself. That’s no longer the case though because you can easily add high-impact, useful reminders, bit for yourself and your teammates, to Slack!
As you can see below, all it takes to set up a reminder in Slack is typing out /remind. In order to maximize your reminder potential, just follow this simple equation with your prompts:
Read MoreSlack Hacks: Two Super Useful Time-Savers for SysAdmins
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
My network management and testing team has been using Slack recently for all the reasons so many other people have turned to the more grown up Slack messaging client. Among Slack’s attractive features is its ability to incorporate add-ins, and I’ve spent some time searching for bots that can help us manage the virtual machines for which we’re responsible.
Earlier, I focused on a bot called OpBot, which helps our team manage our NOC vSphere infrastructure directly from a Slack channel. It’s been quite handy. However, it’s far from the only Slack add-in that’s helped me be more productive with Slack.
In particular, there are two apps — not bots — that I’m falling in love with.
Read MoreIntegrate Google Drive to Share Files Inside Slack
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
Have you ever put the brakes on a Slack conversation so you could go look for an Google Drive link? Sharing your documents shouldn’t be so damn hard. Instead of emailing links back and forth you can share files in your Slack conversations by quickly integrating Google Drive into Slack.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Go to your file in Google Drive and click on the Share button.
VMWare Slack Hack: Using OpBot to Monitor Virtual Machines
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
Geek alert! (But Very Cool)
Our system ops team has been using Slack basically to communicate via chat, with several channels to track various projects, into which we upload commonly-called-upon files. However, many apps can be integrated with Slack to do useful (or in some cases not-particularly-useful) things.
I’m always looking for ways to automate sysadmin chores. That led me to explore ways to extend Slack to help us monitor virtual machines in our company’s operations center. This one works for anyone using Slack who also administrates or monitors a VMware vSphere environment — and it works in a VMware data center or in VMware cloud settings.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of apps and bots listed on Slack’s website. After wading through the cruft (unfortunately, there’s quite a lot of junk), I found some that would help us in day to day operations. The first bot worth considering was OpBot.
Read MoreHow to Start a BlueJeans Meeting Using Slack
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
Using your BlueJeans web conferencing account in conjunction with your Slack account can create a business simpatico. Here’s how to mesh the two together into one symphony of easy-ness.
Integrate BlueJeans with Slack
All you need to do to integrate the two is to type /bluejeans in any Slack channel or direct message.
7 Slack Tips That’ll Keep You From Being a Slacker at Work (Yeah, We Went There)
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
Slack has become a hub for the modern workforce, the go-to tool to Get Shift Done. There’s a lot more to Slack than you might realize, though, and we’ve been helping our readers get most out of it to be more productive in their day-to-day work. Here’s a roundup of our top 7 articles about Slack from the past few months:
1. Use Slack’s Advanced Search to Find Lost Files, URLs, or the Terrible Jokes None of Your Coworkers Truly Appreciate
In Slack, important messages and files can quickly be lost in a sea of emojis. Don’t waste your time scrolling into past conversations — take advantage of the advanced search feature, a time-saving tool with some hidden tricks.
2. Use PomBot for Slack to Co-ordinate Short Sprints with Your Remote Colleagues
The Pomodoro Technique is an effective and increasingly popular way to manage time and work productively. It’s hard to do, though, if you want to do it with others, or are working remotely. That’s where PomBot comes in, a great tool to set up short work sprints with your colleagues and then show what you’ve done.
3. These Two Slack Shortcuts Will Turn You Into a Keyboard Samurai
Read MoreUse PomBot for Slack to Co-ordinate Short Sprints with Your Remote Colleagues
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
The Pomodoro Technique is widely regarded as one of the most effective ways to organize your time and get shift done.
In its simplest formulation, the Pomodoro Technique goes something like this:
- Decide what you need to do.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Work on your task until the timer goes off.
- Take a five minute break, and then start again.
- Every four ‘pomodoros’ take a longer break.
These Two Slack Shortcuts Will Turn You Into a Keyboard Samurai
Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
So your company has made the switch to Slack, eh? But while the messaging service has helped streamline a number of internal communication issues, you’re not one to do anything half-assed. In order to truly master the new medium, you’re going to need to brush up on your keystroke game.
Slack may not be able to instantly create the muscle memory earned and learned by plugging away on those messages day in and day out, but the company does thankfully offer users two easy ways to learn the dozens of shortcuts built into the app.
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