You know the employee who can never keep up with their email. You sent them an email a few days ago and they never saw it cause it’s lost in a sea of communication.
Communication is faster and easier than it’s ever been. Technologies like email and fax to email have made typical mail a rarity. And it’s often easier to send a digital communication instead of talking personally or over the phone.
But this speed and ease can also be a disadvantage to many. It may not be entirely their fault. Some people are in demanding positions, where the number of people that they’re in contact with results in a quantity of emails that are completely unmanageable.
So what do you do if you’re in this boat? The first rule of thumb is this: Send less email. Only use email to send documents and information for others’ reference. If you need to send them that manual, do it through email or fax. If you need to send an update on your projects, a report, or the minutes to the meeting, great! These emails don’t require responses back, limiting the number of emails you’ll receive.
Don’t send emails to push important initiatives. Do that in person and over the phone. It will be harder for them to ignore if it’s done in person. And again, you won’t get emails in response.
These are challenging issues, but making communication management a priority will be worth your attention.
Relevant Tags:email, email inbox, email management, fax to email