According to Merriam-Websters dictionary, productivity is a person’s ability to yield results, benefits or profits. Some days nothing seems to go well and constant interruptions waylay plans. One way to increase productivity is to decrease interruptions.
Email interruptions are a good place to start. Second only to the telephone as a means of communications, the Internet is bombarded with email every day. While it is nearly impossible to know how much is being transmitted, educated guesses set the number at about 183 billion a day. That translates into 2 million messages every second.
Of course we cannot eliminate email any more than interruptions. However, each time we stop what we are doing to read an email productivity decreases. Experts claim that after an interruption it can take up to 20 minutes to get back to the previous level of concentration.
We can’t avoid all interruptions but some we can manage in an effort to take better control of our time and productivity. There are several things you can do to better manage the time spent with email.
The most commonly-cited tip is to check email only at defined times each day. Rather than being constantly available, turn off your email client during times when you do not want to be interrupted. If someone really needs to reach you she can use the phone. Short of that, at least turn off any audible sound that indicates you have new email. Making your own choice about when to be interrupted gives you control, not others.
Unsubscribe. Many of us subscribe to newsletters, market tips, breaking news stories, etc. thinking we would love to read them. If the reality is that you simply don’t read them, get off the list. I recently removed myself from several lists, some of which were sending 2 or 3 messages a day. Rather than just deleting them, I unsubscribed and saved some time each day. In addition, when you purchase something online make sure to uncheck the box that says you want to get promotional email. However, do not respond to spam with an unsubscribe request. This only verifies they have reached an active email account. Simply delete whatever spam gets through.
Limit unnecessary responses. Avoid responding to email with “Thanks” or “OK.” You are only clogging up someone else’s mailbox with pointless messages.
When sending email, be more thoughtful. Only cc people who need the information. Don’t overwhelm other people’s mailboxes with unnecessary messages.
Be brief. People generally read what they can see on the opening screen. If what you need to say requires several pages, write a white paper. Edit forwarded messages so you are only sending the critical information.
Always use a meaningful subject line. Don’t just describe the topic of your note, summarize it in a few words. This practice helps the reader know what is really important.
Email is a valuable tool but like any other we need to control it, not let it control us.
Reach the author at mpowell@a1teletronics.com.
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