My Calendar Is Public. Here’s Why I Traded Endless Typing for Real Conversations.
It might seem a little crazy, but my calendar is open for anyone to book a 30-minute chat. There’s a link to it at the bottom of this post.
Why would I do that? Because my day, like yours, was becoming a stream of instant messages that felt more like tasks than conversations. It was a constant flow of communication that, paradoxically, was getting in the way of real connection, creativity, and the deep focus our work demands.
I’ve always prioritized focus over the false urgency of instant replies. But this isn’t just a personal preference; it’s a core belief in how to build things effectively. Shifting from fragmented, text-based exchanges to focused, interactive conversations is the single most reliable way to restore clarity and momentum. My public calendar is my commitment to that belief.
“A constant flow of communication paradoxically gets in the way of connection.” - Click to post this on X!
What We Lose in a Wall of Text
We’ve all seen a simple question spiral into a dozen messages when a five-minute call would have solved it. This isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a symptom of a deeper issue that plagues teams struggling with asynchronous communication. Text strips out essential layers of human interaction.
- Hidden Context Evaporates: In a live conversation, you uncover the “subtle details” that experts often forget to write down. It’s the curse of knowledge; some things are so obvious to an expert they can’t imagine someone else not knowing them. A real-time conversation is the best way to uncover these hidden assumptions and improve team communication.
- Thinking Out Loud Is Stifled: How often have you solved a problem just by explaining it to someone? This “rubber ducking” effect is a natural part of a live discussion. It creates the fastest possible feedback loop, replacing the anxiety of waiting for a reply with the psychological safety of making real progress together.
- Shared Understanding Is Undermined: This is why the Agile Manifesto values “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools”. It’s also why I think of the “bus factor” as a useful ongoing thought experiment to mitigate risk. Proactively sharing context through intentional conversation empowers the entire team and makes everyone stronger.
A Guiding Principle in Action: The Power of Pairing
My belief in direct collaboration is why I’m a huge advocate for pair programming. To me, it’s not about two developers doing one person’s job; it’s about creating a space for a fundamentally human experience.
It’s about sharing not just the solution, but the craft, the tools, and the intuition that goes into it. You suffer, question, doubt, laugh, learn, and celebrate together. I was pairing once on a deeply frustrating technical issue we just couldn’t solve. Hitting that wall together was key. We were able to admit we needed help much faster than either of us would have alone. The shared frustration was deep, but the self-doubt was minimal. We weren’t alone and we lerned, grew together and celebrated once we got help and solved that challenging issue.
That’s the hidden value. It builds psychological safety and leads to better solutions because it’s easier to be vulnerable and curious when you have a partner in the trenches with you.
How to Cultivate a Culture of Conversation
A healthy communication culture doesn’t happen by accident. It stems from trust and autonomy. A manager’s job isn’t to police how people talk, but to create an environment where effective communication can happen naturally. Be clear on priorities, provide the right tools, and then trust your team of experts to solve the problem. They will communicate effectively because they have to.
For bringing junior team members into this culture, I’ve found one strategy to be incredibly powerful. Give them responsibility for a task that requires them to reach out, like updating a core piece of documentation. This reframes their interaction from “bothering a senior” to “doing my job,” giving them a clear mandate to connect and learn.
Ultimately, it all comes down to one thing: Get to know your team personally as well as you can. It will help you navigate any circumstance and establish the effective communication that is crucial for doing great work together.
Let’s Talk
If this post resonated with you and you’re ready to go deeper, my calendar is open. I set aside time each week for focused, 30-minute chats to exchange ideas, projects, or opportunities in business, creativity, or something completely new.
If you’d like to connect, you can schedule a Google Meet call with me.
Now, I want to hear from you. What’s one conversation you’ve been putting off that a quick call could solve? Share your thoughts using the social media links below.