I don't have an answer on how to change any of this at the moment, but its obviously struck a nerve with me. I am interested in hearing your thoughts, what do you think???
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7 comments:
While I dont get 88k emails a year, I do get a lot as its my preferred method of communication. I think the key is relevance. I know some people open and read EVERY email that comes into their inbox. I on the other hand look for every opportunity to DELETE. If something pops up in the bottom corner of Outlook and looks like junk or something that doesnt pertain to me (ala Sovera outage), I immediately hit the x so it never even makes it to my inbox. Same thing on the Blackberry. I dont waste time with not reading information that in no way pertains to me. Im sure youre the same knowing you but I think some people feel compelled to read every email they get and thats where they lose control and it becomes inefficient.
I will also say I wish more email systems, like Outlook, would move to "threading" emails like Gmail. Makes it much easier to keep up with a thread of reply alls and not get boggled down in them.
sorry 22,000 emails (I got confused with 88/day) either way a ridiculous # but my previous comment remains the same no matter the #
Why do you think we need to change this? Yes, when you break it down, it seems absurd that one can spend 62 days (8 work day) on just emailing. I would think most would agree that communication is vital to a successful business. In our case, the health-care industry, communication can be the difference between life and death. I know that seems extreme, but it is true. Now there is such a thing as watseful communication, which we all take part in on a daily basis, but as long as those thousand of emails, thousand of hours on the phone/blackberry or even blogging serve a purpose then there is no reason to change. I can understand how one could be shocked about how much actual time one spends doing everyday task when you break it down as you have, but when you step back and look at the bigger picture you might feel better about it.
Mikejrus:
I completely agree with you that spending this much time on communication is vital to our organization's success. That is the biggest reason why I started this blog to begin with. However, I would argue with the effectiveness of email as a principal means for communicating. Yes it can be effective and yes it is necessary, but in the post I was more focused on the wasteful parts of email that you referenced. For true communication, I think that other methods tend to be more productive, particularly those that allow for the engagement of dialogue (such as this blog) or face to face forums or interactions. Thanks for sharing!
Leslie, I agree with you on deleting where possible. I love gmail and wish Outlook had an easier way to do the same type of threading!
Great case study...I was recently asked to help someone with something related to patient satisfaction. I advised them but they insisted I get it approved. So I had to write you and Tom a long e-mail explaining the opportunity, the context, and my rationale. It was a small, relatively inconsequential matter not worth your or Tom's time and I told the other person I was willing to accept full responsibility for my advice. In fact, you didn't respond to that email so you probably “Leslied it” (looked for an opportunity to delete it.) :-) If that is the case, then it wasn't worth my time and the organization's dollars to gather and put all that information in an e-mail. Basically, I did something that I knew was unproductive.
E-mails are nice because they can be quick and keep you informed. But I wonder...what proportion of emails you receive are from managers or directors that feel empowered or timid or even want to absolve themselves of accountability/responsibility? I bet we could devise a way to shape people's perceptions and confidence through your responses to email so that managers would feel more empowered. And if that means fewer or shorter emails for all of us, so be it!
Chaise, I don't have a percentage of emails calculated to address your point, but it is a real issue.
I am all for empowerment and accountability though, and would welcome ideas on how to better communicate that to our team!
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