Email, email, email and more email
August 4, 2011
Years ago a wise person told me there was nothing wrong with having lots of money as long as you learn to manage it…and it doesn’t manage you.
I say the same thing when it comes to email.
Yes, it’s the preferred method of business communications.
No, not all those communications are worth your time.
Yes, it is easier and faster to send and receive more documents and attachments.
No, it’s not always productive to send more documents and attachments.
Yes, the amount of information that arrives seems unending.
No, not all of it requires you to do something with it.
Yes, it’s easy to complain and feel overwhelmed.
No, you’re not managing it…it’s managing you.
Email is still one of the top topics I get asked about and there is no easy, short, answer or solution on how to manage it. We have a love/hate relationship with it.
Hmm. It’s really about how we react to it. And how we react will require taking some different steps towards managing it. Consider…
- Picking up email only 3-4 times a day…yikes!
- Asking to be taken off distribution lists…even if you feel it’s politically ‘safe’ to remain on them
- Asking senders to put your name on the “TO” line IF it requires an action from you
- Otherwise, ask that your name go on the CC line…it helps you prioritize
- Asking senders to tell the “To” recipients what action they need from them by putting the request in the FIRST sentence of the email…this also helps prioritize
- Starting a department-wide campaign to speed up your team’s productivity and slow down the preoccupation with email by creating something like an ‘email etiquette’ list, practicing things on that list and sharing it with new hires
- Having an ‘email free’ day (except for customers)…where people actually talk to one another face-to-face
The way you manage it now has become a habit. Move your mindset and make a change. It’s not easy but nothing will change unless you’re brave enough to give it a shot.
