I hear these kinds of statements from my clients all the time:
- I’m inundated with email.
- I’m overwhelmed with people expecting me to respond to them immediately.
- Some emails are so carelessly written that they barely make sense!
When it comes to email communication, fast and furious doesn’t mean effective.
Think about it: The faster you do something, the more likely you are to make mistakes. So when people write and send emails at warp speeds, mistakes will happen.
Our addiction to the immediacy of email has misguided our sense of urgency—a feeling that everything must be attended to now. And when you’re overwhelmed with meeting other people’s needs immediately, you’re less likely to carefully think things through and craft a clear, thoughtful response.
What You Can Do
Take a step back and set up boundaries with email:
- Don’t send email if you don’t have to. The fewer messages you send, the fewer you will receive in response.
- Check your inbox at set intervals—perhaps three times per day. Close the email application when you’re not using it.
- Slow down! Think before you write to minimize misunderstandings and mistakes.
- Know when to use the phone or a face-to-face meeting instead of email.
- Carefully analyze the requests you receive. Do you really need to respond to the email? Do you have to address the issue right this minute?
Ultimately, communicating “fast” results in you having to spend more time doing damage control. Slow down, set boundaries, and break the addiction to immediacy.
