Your Inbox Doesn’t Have to Represent Your To-Do List :: Email Urgency, Systems, Hacks

Last month I facilitated a session at the New England Society of Association Executive’s Annual Meeting. The talk was on Time Management for Increased Productivity and among the more popular topics was, email. In the course of the session, I proposed a few ‘alternative’ approaches to managing email (basically suggesting ways to alleviate pressure of always being ‘at the ready’ to respond).

Wrapped into one of the approaches was a suggestion to send a quick ‘ackncowledgment email’ (within 15-30 minutes of receipt) to let the recipient know you got it, and provide some sense of timing (when you’ll be able to complete whatever task the email represents, etc.).

A few audience members suggested this lack of immediate response would be ‘putting people off.’ I’m not so sure I agree. I believe most *rational* people will understand that responding to email is not the only thing on your to-do list, and that there is a healthy place somewhere between ‘instant response’ and not responding for weeks (or worse, never responding at all).

I have worked in the management consulting space for 13+ years. If ever there was an environment where folks expect everything *yesterday* – this is it. And rightfully so. Our clients are paying really large dollars. To successfully thrive in as an employee in such a firm, you have to tolerate high levels of urgency and develop skills to function with it.

In my role, (in the corporate library), one of the main tasks is responding to requests for research guidance. For nearly 12 years, the policy has been that our users will receive *some* response within 15 minutes of their query. [That initial response acknowledges receipt of said email, and sometimes the full answer (if basic enough)].

For 10 of the 12 years, I’ve been in the seat of ‘First Responder’ all day, 5 days a week. (Talk about constant attention to email!!) I would keep one eye-ball on the inbox and stop whatever I was doing to send quick responses/direction, and then return to the task at hand.

///Aside – We think we are so good at multitasking – but really, nothing is true multi-tasking. This pseudo-‘multitasking’ translates to not being fully present in anything we do; part of our brains are trying to ‘hang onto’ whatever else we think we are doing simultaneously.

The pressure, the interruption, and the lack of focus are not good for your work, and they increase stress -> none of us need more stress. A few years ago, in an effort to feel less strung out at work, I started a technique that allowed me a little less interruption, a little less pressure, and a little more control. Here it is:

• After responding to the most recent email, I set a timer for 15 minutes (using phone and computer timer) and I do not allow myself to look at email until the timer goes off. I gotta tell ya – I’m amazed at what I accomplish in 15 minutes – WHEN I DON’T ALLOW MYSELF TO BE INTERRUPTED – and I was amazed at how much more calm I was. I was much better at being in the moment with whatever work came along.
• I’ll add that I do not let my inbox serve as my todo list. Emails certainly represent a number of todos, but I review my calendar, project lists, and other ‘queued’ tasks and write them down (at the beginning of the day, and as the day goes on) on paper (some use a white board, etc). When the items are fixed to a page, my sense of control is increased, AND my sense of satisfaction is increased, as I tick the items off.

We all have customers/clients and they all deserve our attention (even if internal clients). Clients drive your business and/or your job!! AND even a tiny bit (15 minutes) of space can allow us to be more productive and better-equipped to serve those clients better.

I was thrilled to read last week, that a healthcare consulting firm called a “moratorium on emails between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday”…. “The company dubs the policy ‘zmail.’ Reports from the company are that business continues, employee stress is down and productivity is up.” [I read about it here; original story, here.]

This is incredibly awesome news!

*Breaking* from the email tether is healthy and does lead to increased focus and productivity. It seems that some companies/individuals simply cannot work any other way (i.e. non-stop, and always have people at their call). Is this anxiety because of not having the right systems in place…?… if we don’t do it *right now* (and get a response) that this very important idea or task will get lost in the ether, opportunity lost…? Have we no other means to ‘hang onto’ all the to-dos than to spew texts and emails in a ‘constant on’ environment, expecting immediate action?

There are other ways to manage one’s productivity than to expect everyone in your organization to be at constant ready 24/7! Simple adjustments to the way we work can facilitate highly productive and slightly more calm environments!! Many of us weren’t born with these skills and/or were never taught.

If you feel your work environment could benefit from some productivity and time management skills training, drop me a line. I am thrilled to facilitate corporate Lunch + Learns, and more formal training series.