no huddle.

please, just send the message

If you work in tech, you've experienced it. The dreaded Slack message:

"Hey, got 5 minutes for a quick huddle?"

Spoiler alert: it's never 5 minutes. And it's never quick.

The Problem

A "quick huddle" is the meeting equivalent of "we need to talk" in a relationship. It sounds innocent, but it carries the weight of a thousand context switches.

Here's what actually happens:

10:00 You: "Hey, got 5 min for a quick huddle?"
10:03 Them: "Sure, let me wrap up this thought..."
10:07 *joins call*
10:08 "Can you hear me? Let me try my other mic..."
10:12 "So basically, I was wondering about the API endpoint..."
10:25 "Oh wait, that's not what I meant. Let me share my screen..."
10:47 "Anyway, I'll send you a follow-up message with the details."

47 minutes. Two people. To ask a question that could have been a message.

The Solution

Just... send the message. With context. Like this:

10:00 You: "Hey! Quick question about the /users API endpoint - I'm seeing a 403 when calling it with a service account token. Is that expected, or should service accounts have access? Here's the curl I'm using: [snippet]. No rush, whenever you have a moment!"
10:45 Them: "Oh yeah, service accounts need the `api.users.read` scope. Add that and you should be good!"
10:46 You: "Perfect, that worked. Thanks!"

3 messages. Zero meetings. Both people stayed in flow.

Why This Matters

  • Context switches are expensive. It takes ~23 minutes to fully regain focus after an interruption. Your "quick 5 min" just cost an hour of deep work.
  • Async is a superpower. When you write out your question, you often solve it yourself. Rubber duck debugging, but make it corporate.
  • Time zones exist. Your quick huddle is someone's 11 PM or 6 AM. A message works across all time zones.
  • There's a paper trail. "What did we decide in that huddle?" becomes "Let me search Slack."

But Sometimes You Actually Need a Call

Yes, meetings have their place. Here's a handy flowchart:

  • Is there active conflict or sensitive feedback? → Call
  • Do you need to brainstorm with real-time collaboration? → Call
  • Has async back-and-forth exceeded 5 messages with no resolution? → Call
  • Everything else? → Just send the message

How to Politely Decline

Need to redirect a huddle request? Try these:

  • "I'm in deep focus mode right now - mind sending me the details in Slack? I'll get back to you ASAP!"
  • "Happy to help! What's the question? Might be able to answer async."
  • "My calendar is packed today. Can you send the context and I'll either answer or we can schedule something if needed?"
  • Or just send them this link: nohuddle.ai

TL;DR

Before you ask for a huddle, try sending the actual question.
You might be surprised how often the answer comes back
without anyone having to say "you're on mute."