Like most professionals, you’re probably overwhelmed by email overload. The number of emails sent and received continues to rise every year and we’re all feeling it.
But when you stop to think about the flow of emails, it’s “give and take.” It’s a back-and-forth process that takes two or more people to create the flow.
You’re not just receiving emails. You’re sending them, too.
So, while YOU feel overloaded, do you ever stop to consider if you are contributing to email overload for others?
For instance…
- Do you copy others constantly on the emails you send?
- Do you hit “Reply All” when perhaps it’s not necessary?
- Do you send lengthy emails, loaded with heavy paragraphs and an abundance of detail?
- Do you send superfluous emails that don’t need to be sent at all?
It’s easy to fall into a rhythm of sending one email after another without considering the impact it has on your recipients, but it’s a good idea to exercise caution and think twice before sending emails.
When you reduce the number of emails you send, you can reduce the number you receive as well.
And that is the goal: to send and receive fewer emails.
To support you in this effort, here are 10 questions to ask every time you’re about to type a new email and send it.
1. Would it be more efficient to pick up the phone?
There are several occasions when picking up the phone might make more sense than sending an email. Consider picking up the phone when…
- Your email goes on and on, paragraph after paragraph, with explanations and loads of detail.
- Too many questions surface between two or more people as emails go back and forth.
- A seemingly simple situation gets MORE complicated.A series of emails brings a NEW issue to light that is outside the scope of the original email.
- The original issue or question is not resolved after a few emails are sent and received.
Picking up the phone can provide an opportunity for a more in-depth and efficient conversation. You can resolve issues and answer questions faster, or quickly wrap up a discussion that is living on and on in email.
2. Would it be more efficient to have a quick meeting or Zoom call?
The reasons above in #1 hold true when emails are between 3 or more people. It may be a good idea to call a quick meeting or Zoom call to simplify and resolve the situation or issue.
3. How many people want or need this information?
Ask the recipients on your distribution list if they are supposed to receive the information you’re providing. Ask recipients if they WANT to be copied on certain kinds of emails. Is the information you’re sending relevant to their work? Do they need to be “in the loop” or would they prefer to be notified only when necessary? There’s a difference between “need to know,” “nice to know” and “I don’t need to know at all,” so their answers may surprise you. Not only will they appreciate your question, but you may be able to shrink the list of people to include in your emails in the future, which will reduce the number of emails you might receive in return.
4. Do you have all the information I need to respond appropriately?
If you have overlooked an email that was part of a discussion or string between two or more people, you may fall into the trap of responding to an email without all of the facts. If you have a lot of emails in your Inbox, be sure to sort the Inbox by Subject or use the Discussion feature to keep email conversations together to make sure you have all of the information you need to reply appropriately. If you reply when missing details or facts, you could be wasting your time and theirs, increase confusion, and it may even require MORE emails back and forth to get back on track.
5. What would happen if you didn’t reply at all?
Sometimes you can get by without sending an email response at all. To be polite, we all send emails to say, “Thanks” or “You’re welcome” or “I’ll see you then.” At times, without these responses, you may offend someone, miss confirming an important meeting, or miss the opportunity to acknowledge someone’s valued efforts and contributions. But at some point, however, the string must end. Seek opportunities to cut back on continued responses when a response isn’t truly necessary.
6. To whom should you send this email and who should be copied?
Putting two or more people in the “To” field of an email can cause GREAT confusion for recipients and have negative side effects for productivity. First, multiple people in the “To” field can cause confusion regarding who EXACTLY is supposed to take action or reply to the email. Each person may think another person in the “To” field will take action or reply, and if everyone feels that way, there may be no action taken and no replies. When you want to hold someone accountable for taking action or you need a fast response, send your email to ONE person ONLY and copy the rest.
7. Has this email been created to get the MOST efficient results?
Think ahead of time about the desired outcome you’re ultimately trying to achieve.
Too many people are in a hurry and simply ask yes-or-no questions when instead, they should slow down and be more specific in their wording about the answers they really need, the actions that should be taken, and/or the outcomes they really want. Without this specificity, productivity slows down and it takes much longer to make any progress.
Here’s an example from a real client experience.
My client wanted to get a document loaded onto the company intranet. He wasn’t sure if it was there or not, so he was about to send an email asking the yes-or-no question to find out. It would have said, “Have you seen this document on the intranet? Do you know if it’s there?”
But I stopped him before he hit “Send” in order to ask about his ultimate goal and desired outcomes. I wanted him to think beyond the yes-or-no answer to what would happen next. Whether yes or no, then what?
My client was certain he wanted this document loaded if it WASN’T already on the intranet and he proceeded to think through what would follow a yes or a no response.
If he got a yes, what if it wasn’t the right version of the document?
If he got a no, then he’d have to send another email to get it loaded if it wasn’t there.
So why not cut to the chase? I recommended he send this email instead…
“Hi Bob,
Please load the attached document to the company intranet if you don’t find it there. If you do find this document there, please verify that we have this most updated version.
Thanks!”
And that’s that. No back and forth required unless the recipient had a NEW question.
8. Do recipients want the blow-by-blow updates or only the outcomes?
In situations when you need to share information or updates about projects or processes, be sure to understand whether team members, co-workers, colleagues, and/or leaders want to see continuous updates in a project or process or just the bottom line and final outcomes.
If others tell you they want the blow-by-blow communication and updates, rather than the bottom line or final outcomes, ask them why to make sure you you’re on the same page and you’re sure to include all of the details they’re looking for. At the same time, remind them that they will get more emails, which will cost them—and you—more valuable time.
To cut down on emails sent and received, you can offer to summarize and send only the outcomes, i.e. a final summary or an outcomes report, which can save both time and energy.
9. Is this the best way to gather feedback, responses, and opinions?
If you need to gather opinions or feedback from co-workers or others—whether internal or external— consider using online surveys instead of email. This will not only cut down on the number of email replies you receive, but will save you time to compile responses. Survey responses can be quickly compiled by the survey software into a report for you to review. It can also be more fun for survey takers, too.
10. Is this email emotionally charged?
I’m sure you’ve heard or read this one before and it’s still true today. If an email has an emotional charge, it’s better to pick up the phone or get together and TALK.
Ask yourself these questions once you’ve typed your initial thoughts in an email.
- Could this email be read as harsh, offensive or rude?
- Could this email create hurt feelings for the recipient?
- Could this email damage the relationship?
- Could this email convey thoughts and feelings that can never be taken back?
- Could this email be potentially misunderstood?
If the answers to ANY of these questions is “yes,” then pick up the phone or get together in person. If the answers are ALL “no,” then ask these two questions to decide next steps:
- What do I expect to GAIN from this email?
- What GOOD can come from sending this email?
Yes, it’s important to get your emotions and thoughts out on paper, or typed into a Word document or in an email, but DO NOT hit “send” right away. Not until you’ve had a chance to reflect on your words and your feelings. Make sure your email is the best way to communicate.
Reducing the number of emails sent and received requires discretion and professionalism, creative thinking and common sense, and emotional intelligence.
That may sound like a tall order, but it’s certainly possible, and when achieved, it will pay off.
You’ll convey that you respect your recipients and their time and everyone can enjoy sending and receiving fewer emails, which means everyone can use their time more efficiently, effectively and productively.
