Has email ceased to be a driver of productivity or are we all just expected to work harder these days?

Question

I'm asking this because I get upwards of 150 emails every day and there aren't enough hours in the day to read them, let alone respond. It seems to me that although it used to help increase business efficiency it often now just clogs up people's days.

Or, alternatively, is this just a symptom of employees being expected to work ever longer and harder these days?

Answer 1

There are lots of explanations.

Well I once worked with a teacher who would spend his whole day answering student emails and being asked questions from students. But as I listened to the questions they were the sort of questions that should never have been asked. They students should have been told the information in class. Because of his stupidity he was being asked simple questions over and over again.

Solution. Make sure the information is available from other sources, so people don't need to email you (not always easy to do, but it will depend on your job).

Also, email makes us lazy. We don't take the time to get the deal right the first time, so we ask lots of silly follow up questions, and expect immediate answers.

Finally, some people just end up too busy because the work load is poorly distributed on the organisation badly structured. In one place I worked, I calculated that if I went to all the meetings relevant to my job, I would spend half my working week in meetings. While some people need to be in meetings, it shouldn't have been the core part of my job.

Basically the solution goes like this.

1. Fix your own problems first. Look at what you are doing inefficiently, look at the stupid questions people are asking you that they shouldn't have to ask. Maybe your whole team needs to deal with this.

2. Talk to your boss about your workload. Maybe it is a sign of your success. Maybe it can mean a promotion, or you at least get an assistant or another member to your department. In the best possible situation structures may be put in place to make email handling more efficient.

3. Put up with it. It is part of modern working life and what we can't change we have to endure.

Answer 2

you should have separate accounts for bussiness and personal emails.All biz emails are always important for the growth and survival of your biz,therefore you have to check them regularly.You need to work smarter not harder or longer.