---
title: "Slack: The Art of Being Busy Without Getting Anything Done"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/slack-the-art-of-being-busy-without-getting-anything-done-ghzowrhfp
source_url: https://matduggan.com/slack-the-art-of-being-busy-without-getting-anything-done/
type: article
source: "Lobsters"
published: 2025-03-18T15:30:28.347Z
updated: 2025-03-18T15:30:53.884Z
tags: ["productivity", "slack", "company-culture"]
reading_time: 12
upvotes: 70
comments: 11
language: en
---

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# Slack: The Art of Being Busy Without Getting Anything Done

**[Lobsters](https://daily.dev/sources/lobsters)** · 12 min read · 70 upvotes · 11 comments

## Summary

Slack, initially seen as an improvement over email and older chat systems, has significant downsides. It fosters a culture of constant communication, which can lead to decreased productivity and burnout. While it's beneficial for quick interactions, it often turns into a tool for micromanagement and disrupts the workflow of both junior and senior employees. To improve effectiveness, teams might consider limiting the use of such tools and focusing on more straightforward communication methods.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://matduggan.com/slack-the-art-of-being-busy-without-getting-anything-done/>

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@jrmemeichelbeck** · 7 upvotes

> Guys you're being so dramatic here.

**@tekn0wledg** · 6 upvotes

> Been saying this exact thing for years. Slack is the new email.... destroyer of productivity.
>
> As an Engineering leader, I have set expectations that I will only respond to mentions or DMs in an urgent manner. Otherwise, I strive for end of day reading on all unread messages. It's just untenable, and unproductive, to try and keep pace with all the unreads.

**@sonic66695** · 4 upvotes

> Goal here is to turn off notifications :) I am checking my messenger in periods.

**@mythobyte** · 2 upvotes

> I like Slack, much better than Teams and allows in my case for quick interactions.  When I am deep in to coding I set myself away cause mentally I am.
>
> IMO, if you have an issue with Slack or any other messenger app, you probably have the same issue with being distracted by your phone.

**@joncoe** · 2 upvotes

> It depends on the organization's culture. I have been at organizations where the expectation, explicitly communicated, was that you were always available on Slack. No silence was tolerated. On the other hand, I was once on a small team where everyone's space and time were respected and protected.

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---

Tags: [#productivity](https://daily.dev/tags/productivity), [#slack](https://daily.dev/tags/slack), [#company-culture](https://daily.dev/tags/company-culture)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/slack-the-art-of-being-busy-without-getting-anything-done-ghzowrhfp)