Ever felt overwhelmed by a cluttered inbox? It's time to reconsider our communication habits. Let's delve into the question: Does every message truly warrant an email? We'll explore alternatives and strategies to streamline our digital correspondence.
As a business tool, email is both essential and annoying
Many of us aren’t using it in the right way, and even more of us are sending way more emails than we should, leading to unnecessary distractions that cost us around…
- Emails don’t serve all purposes, and if used incorrectly, they slow us down
Why has email become our default?
At some point, between the invention of the internet, the rise of popular service providers in the ’90s, and the release of You’ve Got Mail, organizations started using email to share information
- Despite the availability of newer, more savvy technologies, we seem to have gotten stuck a cycle of imitation
- If my peers are sending lots of emails, then I’ll do it too
- Safety: We follow what everyone else does so as not to stand out
- Conformity: Safety isn’t enough. We want to be accepted, too, so we adopt practices that are like those around us
What should email really be used for?
Email is most effective for four things: formally communicate decisions, confirm or schedule appointments, document important conversations, send company-wide announcements that require all staff to receive the same message at the same time, and meet face-to-face
- Emails work best when you have a clear, unambiguous message
- Before deciding whether to use email or another method of communication, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I need to relay a message I received from senior leadership to multiple people within the team? Email
- Bring the team together to set expectations for the week and understand what may get in their way? Meet face- to-face
