How To Show Meeting Status In Slack

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Displaying Meeting Availability in Slack

As a remote worker, staying connected with my team is essential. One of the tools we use to communicate is Slack, a popular messaging platform that allows for seamless collaboration. Within Slack, there are various features that can enhance productivity and streamline communication. One such feature is the ability to show your meeting status, which not only keeps your team informed but also helps maintain a healthy work-life balance. In this article, I will guide you through the steps of how to show your meeting status in Slack, and share some personal insights along the way.

Step 1: Enable the Calendar Integration

The first step is to enable the calendar integration in Slack. This allows Slack to sync with your calendar and automatically update your status based on your scheduled meetings. To enable the calendar integration, follow these steps:

  1. Open Slack and click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Preferences” from the dropdown menu.
  3. In the sidebar, click on “Status & availability”.
  4. Under the “Calendar integration” section, click on “Connect calendar”.
  5. Choose your calendar provider (e.g. Google Calendar) and follow the prompts to authorize Slack to access your calendar.

By enabling the calendar integration, Slack will be able to automatically update your status based on your calendar events, saving you the hassle of manually updating it.

Step 2: Customize Your Meeting Status

Once you have enabled the calendar integration, you can customize how your meeting status appears in Slack. This allows you to add personal touches and provide additional context to your availability. To customize your meeting status, follow these steps:

  1. Open Slack and click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Preferences” from the dropdown menu.
  3. In the sidebar, click on “Status & availability”.
  4. Under the “Customize your status” section, click on “Create a status”.
  5. Enter a descriptive text for your status, such as “In a meeting” or “On a call”.
  6. Choose an emoji to accompany your status, which can help convey your mood or urgency.
  7. Select the duration for which your status will be active, e.g. “30 minutes” or “Until I manually clear it”.
  8. Click on “Save” to apply your customized meeting status.

Customizing your meeting status allows you to add a personal touch and provide more information to your team members. For example, instead of just showing “In a meeting”, you could add a note like “In a client meeting, will be available after 2pm”. This helps set expectations and improves communication within the team.

Step 3: Utilize Status Updates

In addition to the meeting status, Slack also allows for status updates. This is an opportunity to share brief updates with your team, such as what you are currently working on or when you will be available again. To post a status update, simply follow these steps:

  1. In the Slack app, click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Set a status” from the dropdown menu.
  3. Enter your status update in the text field.
  4. Click on “Set” to post your status update.

Status updates are a great way to keep your team informed about your availability and progress. It also provides an opportunity to add a personal touch and share a bit about yourself, such as an interesting article you read or a hobby you are pursuing outside of work.

Conclusion

Showcasing your meeting status in Slack can greatly improve communication and collaboration within your team. By enabling the calendar integration, customizing your meeting status, and utilizing status updates, you can keep your team informed about your availability and provide additional context when needed. So go ahead and take advantage of this feature to enhance your remote work experience!