Perhaps it’s because of women’s hard won reputation as excellent
multitaskers. Or perhaps its because we all panic that if we don’t put
in our two cents instantly, we’ll be ignored. But whatever the reason,
too many of us have gotten into the nasty habit of being “overly
responsive.”
As soon as our Blackberrys buzz or we hear the ping of a new email arriving (the tiny envelope icon lingering in the bottom right corner of the computer monitor, taunting us), most of us drop whatever we’re doing and check it out – eager to respond first... or to at least have the option to be the first to weigh in.
But, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to stop. Sure, there are times when major projects are reaching completion or you’re waiting to hear back about an important issue with one of your clients, so you need to be instantly accessible. But, most of the time, you don’t need to drop everything at the first sign of an email communication. In fact, waiting might actually help you.
Here are five reasons to wait before checking your email for the twentieth time this hour:
1. Your productivity suffers
Sure, you’re a great multi-tasker. That’s how you got to where you are today. But, more and more studies are showing
that each time you take a break from your work (especially if you’re
working on something mentally intensive, like writing a report or
creating a presentation) it takes you much longer than the ten second
email break to get your brain back into work mode. That’s why
sometimes things that should take you an hour wind up taking three.
So, I like to institute no-email blocks in the day where I’m doing my
most intense writing. Then everything gets done faster and better.
2. Sometimes, time can actually help you
Have you ever stepped away from your desk for an hour, only to come
back and see a huge chain of emails between a few of your staffers?
You read through the chain thinking, “uh oh, what did I miss?” only to
discover that a minor problem both appeared and was resolved in the
time that you were away? I think we all want to think that our input is
needed (most of the time it is, of course!), but if something truly
urgent happens, I guarantee you’ll get a call if you need to weigh in.
Otherwise, let your staffers figure out problems on their own, it’s how
they learn.
3. The quick answer isn’t always the best answer
The pressure to respond instantly to emails can definitely be intense,
especially when a heated debate is rapidly unfolding in cyber-space.
But, like above, sometimes it’s best to wait until clearer heads
prevail. If it looks like a fight is beginning to emerge, the last
thing you want to do is hop in and fire off an angry email that could
haunt you for days. Step away from the computer and wait until cooler
heads prevail. You’ll be glad you did. In fact, since people are
often more likely to be aggressive via email than in person (it’s easier
to hide behind the screen), you might be better off not responding at
all and just setting up a meeting to talk the issue through.
4. It sets a precedent that you can’t escape from
In a lot of ways, email can be a trap. Once people get used to you
responding to everything within minutes, that cycle can be hard to
break. And, that’s how we get into situations where you spend your
vacation with the Blackberry strapped to your ear or find yourself
waking up in the middle of the night to check your email. I find that
the best way to handle this is to be honest about when you will
respond. Tell people how available you’ll be (or won’t be) during
vacations and be clear about who can handle issues in your absence.
And, as for every day, set aside a few times during the day when you’ll
check/respond to email. There’s no reason that anyone needs to be kept
waiting more than an hour or two and this still gives you solid blocks
of time to do the “real” work.
5. It can give the image that your time isn’t as important as someone else’s
Think about it. If you can take the time out of your day to respond
instantly to every single little issue that comes up, what else are you
doing? Anyone who’s ever been frustrated because their boss took a day
or two to respond to an email knows that the reason that they’re
frustrated is because the person their waiting on is “more important”
than they are. Remember how much your time is worth, and allocate your
work accordingly.
** This post originally appeared on the blog Women on Business
Comments