Communication that consumes the day.
WHY IT DOMINATES
It arrives continuously, it feels productive, and responding is easier than substantial work.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Defined times for processing messages.
HOW MANY TIMES DAILY
Few.
WHY NOT CONTINUOUSLY
Continuous processing prevents concentration and it trains others to expect immediate replies.
WHAT TO DO WITH EACH MESSAGE
Decide, once.
WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE
Delete it Do it, if brief Delegate it Defer it, with a time File it for reference
WHY DECIDING ONCE
Reading messages repeatedly without deciding is where the time goes.
WHAT BRIEF MEANS
Something completed in a couple of minutes.
WHY THAT THRESHOLD
Deferring short tasks costs more in handling than doing them.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT LONGER ITEMS
Schedule them as work, not as messages.
WHAT TO AIM FOR
An empty or near-empty inbox after processing.
WHY
An inbox of hundreds is a list of undecided items, and it produces anxiety rather than action.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT MESSAGES REQUIRING THOUGHT
Acknowledge receipt, and respond properly later.
WHY ACKNOWLEDGE
It prevents chasing.
WHAT TO WRITE
Short messages, clearly.
WHY
Long messages produce long replies and misunderstanding.
WHAT TO STATE CLEARLY
What you want the recipient to do, and by when.
WHY
Messages without a clear request produce no action.
WHAT TO AVOID
Copying people unnecessarily Replying to all without reason Using messages for discussion that a conversation would resolve
