5 Ways To Cut Email Overload

I have worked with a lot of organizations since the development of email. It is striking how each company handles email very differently from other companies in the same industry. Some are very efficient; others are drowning in unnecessary messages.

One 2006 study found that about half those surveyed spent more than two hours a day in their inbox. Assuming one works 40 hours a week, that is a significant dent in productivity. Another study found that it takes an average of 64 seconds to recover your train of thought after interruption by email. That's even more wasted time.

Here are a few more reasons your team (including risk management teams) should be waving the “Let’s reduce unnecessary emails!” banner.

• Needless emails waste time, and when employees waste time on emails, they may rush to finish other, more hazardous duties. Rushing often equals injured employees.
• Wasted time means reduced profits. Managing emails at any time and especially in the event of litigation is never an easy task. Reducing unneeded emails means fewer documents your company must surrender when asked to produce email messages in litigation.
• Emails can damage your brand. They are rarely spellchecked, let alone proofread. They often come across as flippant, irreverent, or downright hostile. Is that the tone your organization wants to present?

Fortunately, there are some simple solutions. Try these 5 tips to reduce email overload:

1. Put all content in the subject line so your recipients don’t have to open the email. At the end of the email, put EOM for “End of Message.” Here is how sending this email to your employees would look in the subject line: “Read this and use it. http://emailcharter.org/ EOM” Yes, hyperlinks open in subject lines. How simple is that? (If you plan to educate your employees on this important topic, start with the first tip to cut wasted time.)
2. Stop the copy cycle! Why copy everyone if you need to respond to only one person? Better yet, why do you need to copy everyone in the first place?
3. Stop saying “thank you.” We know you are grateful for our help. If it’s that darn important, send a card!
   Always use a targeted subject line and change the subject line on replies. This simple tactic took me months to get used to, but saves me countless time when I need to find an earlier email relative tied to that subject.
4. Don’t use electronic signatures as attachments. It takes awhile to open the attachment and manage the irritation when you find it’s only someone’s signature or electronic business card.
5. When you send an email with various responses (a long thread), cut the non-pertinent verbiage. No one wants to read the entire history of a shipping complaint or some other problem. Either cut the superfluous text or begin a new message.

These tips were adapted from Email Charter, an organization dedicated to reducing the time spent managing email. To spread the word, go to the site, take the Email Charter pledge, and put the Charter in your email signature.

Email Charter's founders point out that we are social animals and we naturally want to communicate in this medium. That's fine, but many organizations are simply drowning in email. Educating employees about the importance of email etiquette could save each employee (and your company) hundreds of wasted hours every year. Just think what your employees could do with that time? Invent a new product? Bring in more customers? Provide better customer service? Earn a profit?

Managing email is a daunting task, but one that organizations must tackle head on to save time, reduce potential damaging litigation exhibits, and cut costs.