Okay. Now it is time to rant. This past week I received at least 15 e-mail messages with this simple one or two word response, “thanks” or “ok.”
Hey, I know folks are just trying to be nice. BUT – We have got to let go of our need to keep the trail going. With the average worker receiving anywhere from 100 to 150 e-mail messages daily, let’s do everyone a favor and stop with the one word responses.
I actually received this response — “Thanks — and how are the kids?” Puh-lease! It is bad enough that you send me an e-mail I didn’t need, but now you are asking me to comment on something absolutely and totally unrelated to the original stream of information.
The one exception that I can tolerate as a one-word response is something that relates to a meeting or scheduling or timing. I actually do like to receive a message that says “Confirmed.”
What are your pet peeves?
Here are some great tips from Fast Company’s Work Smart Column on how to manage your email after being out of the office for several days.
http://www.fastcompany.com/article/work-smart-how-to-power-through-a-mountain-of-e-mail#
Social media is here to stay. With social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, we are able to stay in touch with our friends and business associates better than we have ever done before. We are also connected by a lot of groups. But what about all those notifications??? They are slamming our inboxes.
What to do? Simple.
Set up a rule to have those notifications automatically placed in a folder.
This is a great way to organize and manage your social media time. Instead of having to drag and drop social media notifications, or to be tempted by wanting to read something that looks interesting, you know exactly where to go when you are in your Social Media mood, or when you have set time in your schedule to manage your online networks.
I tried this simple solution, and it has worked fabulously for me. Let me know how it works for you!
In the first line of your e-mail, place the action request.
Too many e-mail messages are too long, and unfortunately bury the action that the sender is requesting of the reader. By changing your habits to make sure that the action that you intend to be taken as a result of your e-mail message is clearly stated in the very first line of the e-mail, you will be surprised with the results.
Here are some examples:
- Please respond to me by Tuesday, June 4, with your availability.
- This article is for your information only.
- Here are the directions to our off-site retreat, please save them.
- Please submit your recommendations for blah blah blah by this Friday.
- The enclosed documents should be brought to our Thursday staff meeting.
By being direct on exactly what response you desire from the reader, you will help them manage their work, be clearly understood.
Here’s an article you’ll find interesting.
Here’s an excerpt:
The interruption epidemic is reaching a crisis point at some companies and shows no sign of slowing. Email volume is growing at a rate of 66% a year, according to the E-Policy Institute. More people are texting. More are using Facebook or Twitter for work.
“It’s worse than it’s ever been,” says Michelle Rupp, owner of NRG Seattle, an insurance brokerage with a staff of 12 who feel pounded by the avalanche of messaging. “It’s so hard to stay focused. Everything bings and bongs and tweets at you, and you don’t think.”
Yes, it is possible to blunt the interruption assault. But business leaders must go on the offensive in a realm most are oblivious to: interruption management.
There are some people who intuitively understand and have the discipline to not be interrupted, and there are others who allow themselves to be interrupted continually. The ding or the flash of a newly received e-mail is like newfound treasure.
You can tell who is allowing that invasion by how quickly they respond to an e-mail you send them. If they respond within minutes, they are not being as productive as possible — they are looking up every time a new e-mail message comes in. Of course it’s okay to have this happen infrequently, but those folks who continually respond immediately are most likely not getting anything else done.
If you want to know who needs the most help managing their inboxes, the answer is easy. Just find those people who respond immediately – not just once or twice, but consistently.
Here’s more help:
http://www.littlethingsmatter.com/blog/2010/04/22/my-top-33-email-tips-part-1/
With all of the ways to communicate, relationship building is not an either — or game. Many times, it is a combination. I have always believed that the face-to-face and personal touch is the absolute best way to build relationships, and that has not changed in my view. However, with our reach stretching across the country and throughout the world, that face-to-face interaction becomes much more challenging. Telephone conversations are second, because two people have an actual exchange and discussion. You can hear the other person’s reaction and respond accordingly.
All this does not eliminate the power of social media for staying in touch with people. With the 24/7 harried world we live in, sometimes a quick touch is better than nothing. Many people avoid phone calls because they fear they will get hung up too long. It is up to the individual to determine which is the best medium to use. Frankly, I enjoy seeing LinkedIn status updates about the people in my network, and I occasionally respond to them. The same goes for Facebook. Actually these Social Mediums have replaced the group list joke e-mails that just about everyone hates receiving.
Bottom line, it really depends on how much you need to stay in touch with your clients and prospects, how they prefer to receive communication, and the amount of time you have to put into it. The rules are changing, and no one really knows what they are…
Email can be extremely costly if not used effectively.
When you consider the average recovery time from any interruption is about 4 minutes, you can imagine the cost to your organization when people look up every time an email is received. Do the math. If you stop what you’re doing every time you receive an email and get 30 emails in one day, that equals 120 minutes of recovery time—two hours of waste! And that doesn’t include the time spent handing the email. Now multiply that by every employee, everyday, and you can see how profitability can be seriously impacted.
In order to instantly combat this loss, give everyone in your organization “permission” to turn off auto-receive, and instead schedule email deliveries every 90 to 120 minutes. So, instead of 30 interruptions, you now have 4 or 5 a day. This can shorten recovery time to about 30 minutes – a saving of 90 minutes added right back to your bottom line. This and more are in my eBook, “Help! I’ve Fallen into my Inbox and Can’t Climb Out.” And for more solutions, visit EganEmailSolutions.com
We’ve all groaned when we’ve gotten that “reply all” that we REEEALY didn’t need to see… Someone copying everyone, telling the meeting organizer that he can’t make a meeting… Someone hitting “reply all” with a mere Thank You… Another sending a note of congratulations to 30 people, when it was intended for just one.
This all goes back to — “THINK before you send!” combined with some business etiquette that respects the recipients. Why does e-mail give people an excuse to be careless or lazy? Even more than that, don’t they realize that when others see people hitting reply all, they draw (negative) conclusions about that person? Can be career limiting!
Consider what you thought when you got those “reply alls” that made your eyes roll. Yup. You though less of the person. You may have even resented the person for wasting your time.
And you don’t think hitting “reply all” can be career limiting???!!!
Think again. And… remember…
THINK before you send. EVERY TIME.
