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We’ve all been there: you’re sitting at work getting your work done and you get that little pop-up window on the bottom-right of your screen that lets you know someone has sent you an email. You’re tempted to ignore it for now—it’ll interrupt your productivity. But what if it’s something that needs your attention right away?
So you check it out and it’s from a coworker/boss asking you to do something for them.Fair enough. So you type up what they want and shoot it off—then you get back to work.
Then, five minutes later, you get a reply with some slight tweaks to what you’ve done.
That’s weird. Did they not like how you completed the project or do they want you to tweak what you’ve done? It’s tough to tell from the email, but most of us know where this kind of exchange is going: a barrage of back and forth that just clogs up your time and slows productivity to a crawl. Eventually, one of you will have to stand up and walk over to the other person—and the problem will probably be resolved in less than a minute.
Why does this happen so often?
E-Mail is Too Easy
In order to prevent this kind of time-suck email exchange from happening, it’s crucial to change the way we all think of email and how we use it.
The problem with email is that it’s so easy, convenient, and gets easily misinterpreted. Before email, when you had call someone up to discuss something, you would think about it a little bit to make sure you weren’t mumbling on the phone. Plus, it’s easier to clarify things on the phone than it is via email—tone of voice and the back-and-forth nature of a phone call lends itself to better communication.
But now everyone just emails as often as it takes until the project gets done. Or until a face-to-face meeting is needed to get it done. But by the time that happens, a lot of time has been wasted.
What can we do to keep this kind of thing from happening?
Pretend You’re on a Deserted Island
Here’s an idea that might sound quirky enough to make it into an episode of The Office. But hear me out, I think it just might be crazy enough to work.
Next time you’re about to shoot off an email, pretend you’re on a deserted island (just cut out the frantic part where you’re begging for food and water) and think about what you’re trying to say.
Write out your email and then edit it as if your life depended on it. Pretend this is your one shot to get your message across. You’re about to roll it up, seal it in a bottle, and throw it into the ocean.
No second chances.
If and when someone comes across it, you better hope that it’s clear—otherwise you’re dead meat.
So be as clear and specific as you can, re-read it a couple times, and pre-empt any doubts or questions the other person might have. And if it’s something super tricky, take a screen shot, paste it into Paint, and draw a crude arrow or circle around what you’re trying to point out. That’ll help when the rescue party comes looking for you.
In other words, make it stupid proof.
Sure, it takes a little more up-front time, but the advantages are enormous:
- Less back and forth
- It makes you look a lot smarter and eloquent
- Less time wasted
- It’ll improve your communication skills
If the other person still doesn’t get it, maybe they’re the ones that deserve to be stranded on a desert island.
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Comments
04.29.09
That's funny, and I think it just might work. Since I work from home and from a distance, I haven't ever had a face to face with my client. I sometimes pick up the phone to clarify when email falls short.
What about the productivity fail that comes from responding to each email as soon as it is received? I know that's not exactly what the point of your piece is, but I would love to hear people's thoughts. At times I find myself obsessively checking all day -- definitely one of my most unproductive habits.
04.29.09
Yeah I know it's not the most productive thing to do, but sometimes people send an email expecting a quick response so I feel I'm better off addressing the emails right away. But Outlook has a feature that notifies you of an email without you actively checking it.
So you only get disturbed when an email actually arrives—no checking involved.
04.29.09
Makes sense. I only work part time, though, so I would be better served to focus on other things and walk away from the computer for hours at a time. What I end up doing is starting something else and then walking back to the computer far too frequently.
Anyone have any advice about how to disconnect from the desire to check email too frequently?
04.29.09
Good points about careful proofreading to make sure you are being clear.
But be careful about trying to anticipate the other person's questions. You may waste a lot of time answering questions they didn't have. And by bringing up those additional issues, you run the risk of getting them worried about things they shouldn't be worried about. They end up thinking "Why is he concerned about that? Should I be concerted about that? I should cover-my-butt and get more information". And then a simple email has turned into a huge mess.
I often find myself trying to explain every little thing, cover every objection, anticipate every question, and then I end up deleting all that detail. I figure "If they have questions, they will call me." Except for really critical issues, this works well.
If I'm REALLY concerned about their objections/questions, I'll send a simple email, then follow-up with a phone call or voicemail. Even voicemail is better, because your additional detail is less likely to be forwarded around and cause confusion with others.
So keep the email simple. If you need a lot of detail - follow-up with a phone call.
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