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Email is one of the most widespread means of communication in corporate environments. The resource arose around 1970 and its history reserves some curiosities. For example, did you know that e-mail predates the internet? Moreover, it was crucial to the creation of it. Standards for email message coding were proposed in 1973, however the first email was sent in 1970, with the initial format similar to a text message sent by cell phone. The evolutions of the internet, and the e-mail itself, have contributed to the creation of this tool, widely used by people all over the world.
Keep reading this post and get some tips on how to use efficiently the corporate email, preventing it from becoming a productivity villain. Topics covered in this line will include efficient email verification, inbox organization, objectively and clearly responding, use of antispam, and other essential tips for good e-mail use. Check it out!
When to use emails?
This question seems trivial, yet some people make basic misconceptions about the application of e-mail in corporate communications. At this point, we should use common sense and evaluate each situation, to establish the best communication format. For example, if communication requires a quick return, you should prioritize telephone communication, avoiding compromise of deadlines, for dealing with a certain subject. If the subject is complex, or delicate, avoid using email. These issues enhance the chances of misinterpretation of contents and can lead to hard problems. In these cases, it is advised that the topic be verbally discussed (media that use voice, or face-to-face meetings), and e-mail is used, solely and exclusively, to formalize the agreed points, keeping track of what was discussed.
Aligning the communication medium avoids a number of drawbacks, so stay tuned to this tip and enhance the use of email in your communications.
Efficient verification of corporate email
Have you ever thought how much time you spend responding to emails daily? Probably you have been investing so much time. Research conducted by Officetime reveals that 40% of people invest from one to three hours in checking, and responding, to emails daily. In this perspective, you must evaluate a crucial point: some organizational functions require more intense monitoring of emails, in these cases, we will have specific tips in the course of this post, and for all others, the suggestion is to proceed as follows: Establish specific times of the day to verify the receipt of messages. In this regard, apply efforts to avoid leakage associated with the use of the email.
Start this process by disabling alerts that might move your attention to corporate email. In this sense, some guidelines are pertinent: For people who work with replicated monitors, avoid leaving the email open on a secondary screen, this will surely help you to focus on the activities. Disable any alert issued by the email. Understand how “alerts”, webmail popups, e-mail system alerts (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.), or any other mechanism that might draw your attention to viewing corporate email. In this sense, a very important tip is also to remove any cellphone alerts, in order to avoid loss of attention generated by the signals emitted through the mobile device.
Removing alerts is the first step, now you need to set the times you will check your inbox for emails. Try out a few options and select the one that is most convenient for your work routine. For example, early morning, late morning, and mid-afternoon checks may be sufficient.
The secret is you establish means to master the resource, not being dominated by it, so the importance of establishing a routine for checking corporate emails.
Organizing your Inbox
It is possible that you already do this, or have already heard/read some guidelines in this regard. However, if you still do not apply any organizing techniques, start the process immediately. Regarding organizing emails, there are many options and you can choose the most appropriate for your reality. For example, you can organize your inbox by themes, sectors, customer groups, or use GDT techniques (short for “Getting Things Done”) to prioritize and optimally manage your inbox. If you choose to use the GTD technique, create folders with the following names: “Do it now”, “Later”, “Start soon” and “Delegate”. When you do your daily checks in the inbox, organize your messages according to these guidelines and allocate adequate time to answer each type of email.
It is worth mentioning that you can merge the GTD technique with other filters, to facilitate the management of your inbox. Speaking of filters, use them whenever possible, this will reduce your work of classifying emails. Also, make use of bookmarks, as this helps to identify visually the emails.
Objective answers are always the best option.
As reported before, long explanations and complex subjects should not be handled by email, avoiding misinterpretations, or loss of interest in reading the content. By writing punctual emails, you can reduce the chances of being misinterpreted and still save time by increasing your productivity.
In addition to being objective, it is essential that the e-mail be clear, so think of answers that leave no room for double interpretations. In this sense, it is important to emphasize the importance of using appropriate language for each type of communication, including special attention to the concepts of punctuation and spelling.
A well-written e-mail credibilizes your business, and specially your person; however, in contrast, the same may have the opposite effect, so it is important to advise employees on the care that should be taken during the writing of e-mails.
Corporate email for personal purposes
Although it is seemingly obvious, employees often confuse the purpose of corporate email and begin to use it for personal purposes. This attitude is very harmful to the corporate environment, since it affects employee productivity, occupies the company’s resource with non-corporate data and, above all, can bring security problems to the corporate e-mail service. Therefore, it is very important for the company to have clear rules for the use of the resource, avoiding that employees disseminate this type of practice.
Beware of unsolicited messages (Spams)
Last but not least, think about the number of spam received in your corporate email. Excessive spam in the inbox of your employees can take time and generate inconveniences that are difficult to repair if your company does not have adequate e-mail security solutions.
When it comes to spam, we can highlight some harmful effects on the corporate environment. The first of these is associated with productivity, since the selection and removal of invalid emails in some cases can lead to a loss of time, as well as the potential removal of legitimate emails, reflecting even greater losses to the company.
In this sense, it is essential to significantly reduce the occurrence of spam in corporate e-mail, through the implementation of solutions focused on e-mail security, including antispamantispam and other control mechanisms, guaranteeing security and enhance users’ experience.
In this post, it was possible to raise some reflections on how e-mail can influence the productivity of collaborators, as well as procedural and technical alternatives to minimize these impacts in a corporate environment. Have you ever stopped to think about how e-mail influences the productivity of your company’s employees? Tell us your experience.
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