The minute you send an urgent email to a co-worker or subordinate, you’ve just infected them.
Email is a great tool. It is efficient, effective, and inexpensive! It was never created to be an urgent communication device.
People learn practices from others. You send an urgent email, they “learn” they should too.
Why is this such a problem? Because once a worker “learns” that the boss MIGHT send him or her an urgent email, he or she can no longer close down the inbox while working on something else. You have just “invited” email arrival interruptions to invade your day, and destroy any concentration you could hope to have. With the average emailer receiving between 80 and 150 emails daily, we’re talking alot of interruptions!
The antidote? Get everyone in your work group to agree to this rule:
If it is needed in less than 3 hours, pick up the phone.
Click here for three 8.5 x 11 posters…
Hey folks. This REALLY works. Try it, and let me know how it worked. And how much time you and your department, office or company reclaimed!
