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WINTER 2016
3
SOLUTIONS
Successful inbox management starts with
adjusting your attitude. Even though email may
feel urgent, most of the time it isn’t. Remember,
if someone needs to reach you in an emergency,
they will pick up the phone. When you respond
quickly to every email, two things happen. First,
you put too much pressure on yourself. Second,
you set the expectation with other people that
you’ll always respond instantaneously—which
sets you up for failure when you have to (or want
to) take a break from your inbox.
Consider disabling your email notifications
so you’re not hearing alerts or seeing pop-
ups throughout the day. They’re constant
distractions and can make you feel like you
need to stop what you’re doing and see what
just came in. According to researchers, this kind
of multitasking zaps your productivity and is
actually harmful to your brain. Factor in the loss
of efficiency you experience if you’re flipping back
and forth between emails and other work, and
you’ve got one serious distraction.
Aside from avoiding the habit of checking emails too often, you’ll also want to actively take steps to
reduce the number of emails you’re receiving. For example, tell coworkers to avoid copying you in on
emails unless it’s absolutely necessary and unsubscribe from email lists that no longer meet your needs.
By looking at email from a new perspective, you can increase your productivity and
efficiency while decreasing your stress. Is it time for you to make a change?
During a typical workday, how many times do you check your email?
Is it once every hour or two? Or is it more like every five minutes? You
may think checking your inbox frequently throughout the day and
sending replies within minutes makes you highly productive. Actually,
the opposite is probably true; you’re slowing yourself down and pre-
venting the kind of focus required for optimal productivity.
RULES OF THUMB
FOR TIMELY
RESPONSES
In the business world, how
quickly you should reply to an
email or return a phone call
depends on the nature of the
communication. But it’s never
acceptable to not respond at
all to people:
• You are doing business with
• You want to do business with
• That can refer business
to you
• Who were referred
Conventional wisdom says to
respond in a timely manner
to emails and calls, often
defined as within 24-48 hours.
If you don’t have an immediate
answer to a question, reply
to acknowledge receipt of
the email or phone mes-
sage and give a time frame
of when you’ll be able to
respond completely.
What’s in it for you if you get
back to people promptly?
It fosters a reputation of
reliability, and paints you as a
professional who’s consider-
ate of others. In fact, since
ignoring emails and calls is
now so commonplace, simply
responding in a timely way
can put you way ahead of
your competition.
Are You Checking
Your Email Too Often?