Month: October 2018

by Alicia Smyth, Director, Communications & Marketing, SoACE Board

It’s no secret that one of the greatest benefits that SoACE has to offer are the Knowledge Groups. There are eight in all: Administration, Assessment & Data Analytics, Career Advising/Counseling, Employers, Employer Relations, Experiential Education, Small Colleges & Universities, and Technology. There is a KG for pretty much everyone (be sure to read Erica Lake’s post from last week to learn about the KGs and how to join, if you don’t already know)!

For years, SoACE used MemberClicks’ Circles as a means for KG leaders to communicate with members. The Circles offered a lot of nice features but because members had to go to the SoACE website and log in to access them and there was no mobile app, very few people used them. Last year, a task force (Charlie Wilder, Alex Anderson, Corinne Earle, Ashley Motley, and Mark Colvenbach) set out to explore alternate options that would make it easier for members to communicate with one another in order to to ask questions, engage in conversations, and collaborate. Their solution? Slack.

If you’ve never used Slack, it can be a little intimidating at first because the terminology isn’t completely familiar (e.g., hashtags are channels and channels are groups). But the more you play with it, the more you will love it. Especially the sheer convenience of it. There is an app for your phone and a desktop version as well. You can opt to get notifications or not. It helps reduce the number of emails going back and forth between people while keeping them informed. Personally, what I love most about Slack is that it is bringing members together in ways that don’t usually happen outside of the conference. It allows people to get to know other members before they ever meet them in person so that by the time the conference does come around, they feel like old friends.

I have seen it used for quick questions, to share resources and best practices, to ask and receive favors (thank you for the Handshake sticker, Sara Johnson!), to stay in the loop, to brainstorm, and to get and give help, among other things. SoACE members can belong to one KG channel or all the KG channels, though it really is best to stick with those that are the most interesting and/or relevant to you so you are more likely to use Slack.

But what is Slack?. Slack is a “cloud-based application that connects teams of workers, allowing them to collaborate in real-time on projects and share documents, images, videos, and other data necessary to do their job.” It is most certainly all that, but there is also an element of fun to it, especially if you decide to join the #random channel (hint: animated gifs).

Kristin Walker, Chair of the Assessment & Data Analytics KG, uses Slack frequently to communicate with members. When asked why she has taken to using Slack, Kristin responded, “Slack is a great way to ‘ask your colleagues.’ When you’re sitting in a meeting or alone at your desk and thought ‘I wonder what others are doing?,’ Slack is a great way to ask the question and get quick answers, ideas, and feedback. For example – someone in the Assessment & Data Analytics group asked, ‘What technologies are people using to measure student learning outcomes in real time?’ Folks were able to respond and get a brief dialogue going. It’s like your own consulting group or listserv without adding emails to your inbox because someone replied to the WHOLE listserv. It’s also great for sharing upcoming professional development opportunities within SoACE and outside of SoACE. Easy to give folks a link to learn more if they are interested.”

Charlie Wilder added, “I am so glad that the KGs are now on Slack, because, just as Kristin says, it’s like having instant access to so many experts across the region. Something I can add: since implementing Slack with SoACE, we’ve started using it in my office. It’s been so helpful for streamlining communication, reducing emails (especially those times when you wonder if you should reply with a quick “thanks”). We’ve started a meeting agenda channel where we can all suggest items for the coming week’s agenda while making everyone aware of them at the same time. We are getting more accomplished with less effort!”

Ashley Motley also uses Slack for both work and SoACE. She shared, “My favorite way to use Slack is during an event. On a smaller scale, the Experiential Education KG has Slacked our channel for feedback on a webinar immediately after it happened. Specifically, we asked if participants could share something they learned. On a larger scale, during our All-University Career Fair we use Slack to ask event questions among our staff. Specifically, our IT crew provides updates on the number of students we’ve checked in so far, staff at the fair location can communicate with staff in our office if employer questions about next day interviews, and we can provide quick customer service to employers calling the office with questions about the fair because our office reception staff communicates those questions on Slack. This year, because of that level of communication, I was able to seamlessly add in three employers that would have otherwise been frustrated to miss the fair. It’s a really effective tool that allows you to communicate in real time.”

Check out these articles regarding the benefits of Slack and some of the super cool things it can do to enhance your SoACE experience (not to mention your productivity):

• Slack Features
• Slack Glossary
• Tips, Tricks, & More – Slack Help
• How to Use Slack for Team Communications
• 12 Ways to Use Slack to Be More Productive
• How to Use Slack Like a Pro and Become a Power User (22 Tips & Tricks)

If you haven’t received an invite to join SoACE’s Slack workspace yet, make sure that you are a member of a Knowledge Group: https://www.soace.org/about-kgs. Once you join at least one KG, you will receive an invite and from there, can get in on the conversations (and fun). If you have any questions about using Slack, feel free to reach out to me.

We look forward to seeing you on Slack!