Conquering the
Email burden
Nov 15, 2011
Is the Internet changing the way we think? Recently, my colleagues Charlie and Anne Kreitzberg tackled this subject, and I would like to follow up by examining how information overload affects our ability process information.
A recent study at Columbia University concludes that a process of widespread neural rewiring has already begun its inexorable course. Dr. Betsy Sparrow, the lead author of the research report, believes that search engines like Google have made us less reliant on our own memory for recalling information. Where we once tried to commit the results of work and everyday research to memory, we now merely remember the Internet location where that data is stored.
Relying on external tools for total recall is a logical consequence of the information overload that comes with the online world, and only one of the ways we’ve adapted to maintain our sanity in the face of data inundation. In a recent Huffington Post article, Euro RSCG Worldwide CMO Naomi Tran notes how we reflexively scan and filter information for relevancy before we even begin to read in a linear fashion.
Despite these adaptations, information overload continues to be a problem, and nowhere is this more evident than it is with our most common online communication tool—email! Valuable work time is lost as business professionals sift through their email trying to get at the heart of what they are supposed to accomplish. To tame this mixed stream of important alerts and trivial distractions, managers must work individually with their employees and collectively as an organization. Their first step is to initiate clear communications-management protocols.
In organizing email processes, managers can reduce information overload by:
- Developing a clear policy on the use of email during work hours;
- Providing training on the efficient use of email management software;
- Integrating online collaboration tools like Basecamp, Yammer, Sharepoint into existing workflows.
Once the logistics of communications are in better order, the next step for managers is to train their employees in helpful tips and best practices. Chris Anderson,curator of the popular Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) Conferences, posted a popular email charter of 10 principles. A few of the charter’s useful recommendations include shortening emails, slashing the number of cc’s, and removing irrelevant content in threaded messages. Working collectively, managers can start with this email charter (or something similar) and work with organizational stakeholders to train a workforce more reflexively efficient at email management.
Having addressed logistical and process issues, managers should turn to an often-overlooked element: the human factor. Organizational stakeholders need to be self-accountable when emailing. Though it’s a necessarily nebulous concept, self-accountability requires workers to exercise emotional intelligence and not misuse email technology to mask other issues. Some common examples of email misuse: sending messages to surreptitiously deflect blame, avoid difficult discussions, or express anger; basically, any behavior that you’d be embarrassed to enact in face-to-face discussions but are enabled to do by the digital divide of the computer.
Nick Mehta, CEO at LiveOffice, identifies 4 Reasons Why Email Overload is Your Own Fault. In this article, he explains how stakeholders misuse email because of the following:
- They feel unconnected to others.
- They want to show how productive they are.
- They fear they will be left out of a discussion or decision.
- They want a quick sense of gratification by getting something done.
Managers who are self-accountable recognize these emotional triggers and use other appropriate methods to handle how they are feeling. Only managers who adapt and model desired interpersonal behaviors themselves can coach their employees effectively. But as this emotionally intelligent behavior is replicated throughout the organization, the volume of email (and counterproductive email, particularly) should decrease significantly.
Time is money! As organizations lose time to email overload, they hurt their bottom line. Fortunately, there are concrete ways forward. Managers can reduce email overload by uniformly implementing efficient email procedures, establishing a company charter of best practices for email communications, and by embracing self-accountability in all email communications. Though the individual gains in efficiency might seem too minute to dedicate time and effort to staff training, the long-term return could prove to be monumental. Companies hoping to make major strides should start by better managing the minor details.
Join the Conversation: How are you leading by example when it comes to email overload?
Email overload is not going away however I have noticed that more Millenials are using texts and Facebook instead of email. Maybe they have the right idea….I do think that getting off non relevant subscription lists has helped some. I welcome other fixes….Thanks for the piece.
As they use more text and Facebook, maybe this generation is heading towards an “always on” state of mind, Jennifer? Very different from the “logon, download, log off” mentality that email began with…
AM
Thanks Jennifer! Glad you enjoyed the article. I like your idea of getting off non-relevant subscription lists. Your comments about the newer generations intrigued me. This new generation is revising our standard communication rules as technology changes the world around us. It’s sometimes hard to hold a regular conversation with some members of my family that are from these newer generations. They are continually checking text messages and their Facebook page. As they put more emphasis on texting and Facebook, their challenge will be not to create another information overload burden like my generation did with email. Thanks for the comment!
Regards,
Robert
Jennifer, you bring up an interesting point. The Millenials expect multiple communication channels. Baby Boomers are learning fast to using multiple communication channels or walking away. In business you need to embrace email, Facebook and Linkin to communicate effectively with your personnel. Thanks for opening up this thought area.
Great post Robert!
The Naomi Tran reference is true for highly efficient readers. Unfortunately most people still approach their information without changing the strategy and tactics they learned as grade-schoolers, thus they fall behind!
As Nicholas Carr notes in his latest books and articles, the digital age has caused many to change their behaviors in dealing with information overload. Neuro-scientists are beginning to investigate the emergence of the possibility. But Carr’s writing casues us to take a pause and think about the long term implications.
I think you’re right about your conclusion that time is money and then describing the catch-22 that organizations face regarding the re-training of their people. Retraining for mastery of information overload does require hands-on training (or in this case re-training) of the brain. But how do organizations provide for that time “away from work?”
These challenges go way beyond the email overload.
Do you think we are effectively “outsourcing” aspects of our memory and thinking, then, Ed? Names, phone numbers – but also more significant things that now reside in electronic memory?
Ed, I am glad you enjoyed the post! Your point about the need to change our strategy and tactics as we adopt new technologies and processes is critical. We do need to make these changes if we want to tame email overload and other productivity-killers.
The bigger challenge of selling the “powers that be” on the value of re-training is one that requires some strategic communication with some hard numbers. With some measurement of the actual cost lost from poor email practices, change agents have an opportunity to get the attention of senior leadership. It does take some effort however.
Thanks for the comment!
Regards,
Robert
[...] Go to Conquering the Email Burden [...]
There is an aspect of this that can be handled with technical tools (filters and so on). It also helps to have the kind of organization where people feel comfortable limiting the CCs – or even making a quick call instead of just setting up an email chain that can go on for days. It could be that new technologies will supplant email, too, as Jennifer suggests.
I am intrigued by those organizations that periodically ban email for a day… maybe drastic solutions are called for?
So many are now working at least part of the time from home and email is a way to feel connected to the rest of the world. What’s important is to use tools to sift and use the time efficiently while still staying in touch and keeping conversations going.
Hazel Wagner
Hazel,
Well said, and thanks for leaving a comment! The virtual world has dramatically changed how we work and interact with each other. Like every other tool we use to be productive, we have to make email work for us (rather than the other way around).
Regards,
Robert
[...] [...]
Email has created an interesting dilemma. Time is money and since all companies have is time, people and money how to use this tool, and it is a tool better will continue to evolve. I watch people in my AMA seminars at break, during the session, at lunch and at the end of the day all dive into their email device as soon as possible. Bosses want information real time. Clients expect 24/7 feedback now. Taming this and using it effectively is a challenge. This is a great AMA article, to start the spread of effective methods to managing this business tool.
Stephen,
I like the example you gave. I notice the same dynamic in my seminars. Business professionals cannot leave the workplace now without their laptops or smart phones. The 24/7, real-time connected world that we live in gives the workplace this on-demand quality. We do have to “start the spread of effective methods” to tame email and use it effectively as you mentioned. Managers frequently identify email as one of their biggest productivity killers.
Thanks for leaving a comment!
Regards,
Robert
[...] Conquering the Email burden [...]
I too am removing myself from many lists to ease the burden of emails. While traveling, I only open emails I deem a top priority and skim through the rest at the end of my trip.
A technique that works for me is to create a special folder for projects and clients so that emails are sorted as they arrive in my mailbox. Then I can easily prioritize and manage based on timeline and critical path.
I am finding that sometimes even LinkedIn feels like spam from the various groups I belong to.
Yvonne Brown
[...] problem of information overload is certainly very real. “Every second, the world’s email users produce messages equivalent in [...]
Yvonne,
Those are good survival tips! Dealing with information load does require us to be selective about our associations and about what we elect to receive and review. I had a similar feeling about some of the many emails I received from some Linkedin groups. I even had to opt out of a few of the groups because I received too many emails from them. Thanks for commenting.
Regards,
Robert
[...] Tanner told readers recently: “Information overload continues to be a problem, and nowhere is this more evident than it is [...]