Email — it's essential for your business, of course. But are you using it as productively as possible or is it actually taking away from your company's efficiency?
From shaping email content to helping your employees deal with the onslaught from their inboxes, there are easy and effective strategies you can adopt so email further enhances your overall success throughout every single workday. Use these pieces of science-driven advice to whip your email system into shape today:
Only email what's necessary.
A study from the International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management found that 13 percent of business mail contains completely irrelevant information, and only 41 percent of email content is actually used to convey needed information.
Also, 1 in 5 workers copy their co-workers when they don't need to. Your solution? Start an information campaign among your team to make them aware of the importance of focusing their messages, to save time and confusion.
Also, avoid sending companywide email alerts yourself unless the info you're sending is completely essential and current. This saves your staff members time for working they'd otherwise use scrolling through your message for key points.
Stress consideration.
Research from the British Psychological Society found that many workers make interoffice email mistakes like avoiding timely responses or, conversely, emailing others back with more info than is needed at the expense of their own convenience during the workday.
Establish an officewide policy of mutual consideration — emails should be returned at the end of each workday to all colleagues, but at the same time, responses don't need to be super-friendly or long —once everyone is on the same page, no one will be offended or stressed, and everyone will be more productive.
Email your staff only about primary tasks while they're on deadline.
A Queen's University study found that email linked directly to what a worker is focused on allowed that worker to better process that current task, leading to better efficiency on a project. Leave unrelated satellite details till later — just alert your staff members to what they need to know in real time.
Don't send email after hours.
A University of Texas at Arlington study found that workers who have to answer their bosses at home become angry at the intrusion into personal time. Set a clear cut-off boundary when it comes to establishing a daily email last-call time.
Practice what you preach.
Follow the same good email practices — like focusing your content and sending out timely responses — as you expect your staff to do. It builds great goodwill — and ensures work will flow better than ever!
