Although many have predicted the impending doom of email, the end doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight, as email remains a relevant and essential part of business communication. Its popularity lies in its simplicity and ease of use, which is why everyone is finding a great deal of messages stacking up in their inbox, not to mention their spam folder.
According to a report published by the McKinsey Global Institute, people spend over a quarter of their working day reading and responding to email. This adds up to quite a lot of time being spent over the course of a work week, and being able to prevent email from getting out of control comes down to adopting some strategies for handling email. Here are some helpful ways for doing so.
Prioritize Email Like Any Other Task
Making good use of your time entails deciding on what’s most important and focusing on that as a starting point. It’s often a temptation to handle the easy tasks first and avoid the ones we know will be more difficult.
You may also find that setting self-imposed time limits on email usage may help you get the most out of your day and you can tackle larger responsibilities. It’s possible that you may be forced to do this during busy days, but making it a regular habit can allow you to better concentrate on your work.
Write What You Want to Read
No one wants to spend several minutes reading a lengthy, rambling message. Keep the email messages you send brief and to the point. This will help both you and others save time. Also, don’t forget that tone can be a tricky thing to convey, so be sure to take a professional approach to your email writing and avoid any unintended strife from a brusque or condescending message.
Common Sense is the Best Policy
Before writing someone, you should ask, how important or unimportant is the message I want to send? Is it something best saved for a face-to-face conversation because it’s too important for just an email message? Is it something that shouldn’t clog up someone’s inbox? Responding with a “Reply All” can sometimes be avoided, as someone who doesn’t need to be looped into a conversation can be spared one more message she doesn’t need.
Communication is central function for any business, and improving any inefficiencies or time-wasters can help make a company stronger and more successful. In addition to figuring out ways to streamline their email practices, a business may also consider examining email on an infrastructural level. As more businesses are migrating to cloud-based systems, choosing an email-hosting service may be worth investigating due to its cost savings and general efficiency. This can play a part in an overall approach to making an essential means of communication function efficiently on all levels. Saving employees time will save money for a business overall, and greater day-to-day efficiencies can result from the simple email strategies outlined here.
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