Magazine
The main reason our e-mail in-boxes consume so much of our time is that we have little control over how many messages we receive. But we can control how many messages we send. That seemingly obvious insight sparked a significant reduction in one company’s e-mail traffic: After the executives reduced their output, other workers followed suit.When the seven-person top European management team at the London-based company International Power wanted to increase the firm’s efficiency, an analysis suggested that a glut of e-mail might be part of the problem. The executives initially believed that the high volume was due entirely to others’ actions and were astonished to learn that they themselves were sending 56 messages a day, on average.Instead of deploying e-mail management tools to cope with the overflow, the company took a page from lean manufacturing. It decided to treat communication as if it were an industrial process, targeting efficiency killers such as overproduction and defects (confusing, unnecessary, or ineffective messages, which often simply breed other messages). Acting on the hypothesis that a reduction in executive outflow would prompt a reduction in employee outflow, it aimed to cut the number of e-mails sent by the top team members by 20% within four months.
- Teach executives to be more deliberate in their e-mail use.
- Ask them to set a target for reducing the number of messages they send, and include it in their performance goals.
- Give them weekly feedback.
To continue reading, register now or purchase a single copy PDF.
Become a paid subscriber for full uninterrupted access.
Already an HBR subscriber? Activate your FREE archive access now.