Email culture is broken. No matter how hard we try, it feels impossible to actually reach inbox zero. But to fix the problem you have to think outside of your own inbox. It may sound counterintuitive, but focusing on reducing your team’s collective email traffic will help create a better culture for everyone. Here are three strategic habits that will help:
- Consider BCC. Use BCC for any email to two or more recipients that doesn’t require them to communicate directly. This reduces the possibility of an endless reply-all thread or conversations that veer off topic. If you need to discuss things as a group, consider a meeting instead.
- Be conscientious about timing. Do your best to make sure your emails are delivered during the work day. Off-hour correspondence unfairly distracts the recipient, who might reflexively feel the need to reply in the moment.
- Use plug-ins. Whether they're used for scheduling emails in advance, sending meeting invitations directly to your recipients' calendars, or simply "liking" a message instead of sending a response, in-app or third-party plug-ins can help you reduce the number of messages you send each day.
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