3 Reasons Why Email Is Damaging Your Career

Do you spend your days searching for the nirvana of a zero unread inbox? Or is this actually a pipe dream, and that in reality, you are on some kind of giant email treadmill with only two buttons - (fast and faster)

Could your approach to email make a difference to your career?

Could you even be addicted?

So what’s the issue?

There are many, but here are my top 3. There is no doubt, email is a hugely powerful tool, especially when large groups of people or legal documents are involved, but it can also be hugely disruptive. Here’s why:

1.      Email turns you into a Goldfish

A study from Loughborough University found that it takes an average of 64 seconds to recover your train of thought after interruption from email. That means people who check their email every five minutes could waste 8.5 hours a week figuring out what they were doing moments before. (source Guardian).

2.      You are (possibly) addicted.

Email has a similar effect on the brain as a slot machine, and triggers something called “variable interval reinforcement schedule”. The reason slot machines are so addictive is that you are rewarded sometimes, and in a random way. Email has this effect too – whilst you plough through wave after wave of tedious spam, account queries and people asking for stuff, you will occasionally get “rewarded” by something interesting or exciting, which is what makes email compulsive and addictive. (source Dr Tom Stafford – Mind Hacks)

3.      You can’t build proper relationships on email

I’m sure there will be some disagreement with me on this one, but personally I don’t think you can. In my view, nothing replicates face to face to face communication in building relationships, understanding and working thought challenges & opportunities. I also find solutions such as Google Hangouts and Skype pretty stilted, and little better than a conference call.

So unless its communication that needs written documentation, I always stick to the mantra of:

Meet face to face

When you can’t meet up, talk on the phone.

When you can’t talk on the phone. Email.

Yes of course when there are big groups involved this gets harder, but how many of your good relationships inside and outside of work did you build up on email? Genuine business partners do business in person, and suppliers do business on email.

Most of the advice out there to manage email more effectively is pretty consistent, and involves working through it in batches, especially in periods when you are generally less productive and that you should turn off notifications when you really need to think.

The logic is very hard to fault, but in client service industries, where clients need fast accurate responses – this is a tough balance to get right.

Sadly I don’t have a silver bullet but I work to the following mantra:

1.      Prioritise verbal communication whenever you can

2.      When you really need to think, get away from email

3.      It’s a team game – Can a colleague “mind the shop” if you are offline?

4.      Use your judgement when you need to respond instantly, and when you can power through in batches

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