No Email Days
Because email can be such a hindrance to worker productivity, a number of companies have attempted to combat this problem, and encourage face-to-face communication, by implementing "no email days". Interestingly enough, this has not been well received by employees. One of the (predictable, in my opinion) results was a backlog of messages the following day.
Email is the natural choice for introverts, who typically prefer written communication. It’s often used by individuals who wish to avoid confrontating someone or asking a difficult question. And sometimes it’s nice to have the communication documented for future reference.
As a virtual assistant working from a home office, email is my primary method of communicating with clients, suppliers, and colleagues. In many ways, it is very efficient, because email can be sent at any time of the day or night, without having to think about the recipient’s time zone or hours of operation, or worry about interrupting them with a telephone call. However, some people have great difficulty staying on top of their email, so you might have to wait a long time for a reply - or your message might get overlooked or forgotten in the inbox, or filtered to a junk folder. When this happens, it’s best to pick up the phone rather than send a follow-up email, because your second message might easily suffer the same fate.
Those of us who grew up when long distance was an expensive luxury might tend to avoid calling people in other time zones, so we need to remind ourselves that it’s now affordable and is in fact often included in our regular telephone service. There have been a number of occasions where I was able to resolve something in minutes by telephone that might have taken several back and forth emails, so I can see why these large companies are trying to encourage their staff to use this form of communication.
In terms of productivity, when we need to contact someone, it would be wise to consider the following:
- If I get an answer to my question immediately, will it help me to continue working on this activity?
- Is the person likely to be at his or her desk right now?
- Does this person usually answer their phone, or let it go to voice mail?
- Does this person usually respond to emails on a timely basis?
- What is the most effective way to communicate this information? (often our intent in an email can be misunderstood)
I’m not sure that "no email days" are practical, but reminding ourselves that email is not the only form of communication available to us - or always the best one - is a fabulous idea.
