Let’s talk about email.
If you’re like most attorneys and legal professionals, you probably have a love/hate relationship with email.
Let’s face it...if you’re like most Americans, then that Loe/Hate relationship with email exists. (Or maybe it’s more of a Hate/Hate Relationship).
The convenience of email has gifted us with the ease of communicating quickly and effectively with multiple people without having to get out of our chair, write a letter, or pick up a phone. However, email can also be very overwhelming and intrusive. You’re probably seeing the little gray pop-up box in the bottom right corner of your screen right now as you’re trying to read this article.
Below are four expert tips to stop wasting your valuable time on wasteful emails.
Tip-#1
Turn off notifications
Right now. I’ll wait.
While you’re there, turn off the sound too.
In preparation for a recent presentation, I asked the attendees what some of their typical interruptions are during their workday. Twenty-eight attorneys and legal professionals responded to the survey and a combined 90% of the respondents said that incoming emails were the biggest interruptions that they experience.
This response far outweighed any other interruption. Yet, we don’t treat emails like interruptions. We treat them like the most important task we should be putting our attention to as they come in.
Ooh, shiny new email. What does it say? Who is it from? What emotions will it elicit from me?
Tip-#2
Stop treating your email like a game of credit card roulette.[i]
Humans, by our very nature, are interested in the more exciting thing that causes a dopamine hit. Unintentionally, we treat our email like Russian Roulette. As each bolded new email enters our life, we subconsciously wonder:
“Is this important or not?”
“Is this a quick response or a month-long project?”
“Is this good news or bad news?”
“Does this email make me happy or upset?”
“Will I need to act on this email or is it just a reference point?”
“Did Kate finally respond to me?”
It is recommended that you time-block when you focus on email. For the longest time, I over-thought this technique. Time-block my email? You mean I need to invest an hour block of time three hours a day on email and not check it outside of that block of time? That’s not feasible.
However, time-blocking your email does not necessarily mean only checking it the dedicated times throughout the day. It means to be more deliberate about when you are checking your email instead of allowing email to impose on you whenever convenient for the sender.
Now that you’ve turned off the pop-up window and the sound, you’ll automatically be more intentional when you check email.
While you’re working on case law research, reviewing documents, or writing a memo, your attention won’t constantly be challenged by the more exciting shiny object that keeps trying to grab your attention. Instead, you’ll stay focused on the task at hand and then “reward” yourself the break of checking email when your 30-, 60-, or 90-minute deep work is finished.
Tip-#3
I promise you, if it is that important, the sender has already called, emailed, or texted you to ensure you got their email.
But here’s the deal. You are a contributor to the constant interruptions via email throughout your day. Does this email exchange seem familiar?
Tues. 10/1/19
2:31 p.m.
From: Jessica P.
To: George L.
Hello George L.,
I hope you’re doing well. Would you be interested in having coffee this month to discuss our upcoming presentation? I look forward to hearing back from you.
~ Jessica P.
Wed. 10/2/19
8:07 a.m.
From: George L.
To: Jessica P.
Hi Jessica P.,
Thank you for your email. Yes, I think it would be a good idea to schedule coffee or lunch to discuss the presentation. Let me know your availability.
Thanks, George L.
Wed. 10/2/19
9:38 a.m.
From: Jessica P.
To: George L.
Great. Next week I am pretty flexible. What works best for you and where do you want to meet?
Thurs. 10/3/19
11:07 a.m.
From: George L.
To: Jessica P.
Let’s meet next Tuesday 10/8/19 at 9:30 a.m. at the Peet’s on Mission Street. Will you send a calendar alert?
Thanks, George
The above-email tug-of-war happens all.the.damn.time. To set up one coffee meeting (and the calendar alert has not even been sent yet), it took almost two full days and wasted time for everyone. Each email coming through distracted the recipient and pulled them away from whatever they were working on. Each response was an attempt to cross-off another mini-task from their list by responding with something and deleting the email from their inbox. A small victory in their day where they felt like they accomplished a task. Phew. I responded to Jessica…what do I work on now?
This correspondence could have been drastically improved if it went like this:
Tues. 10/1/19
2:31 p.m.
From: Jessica P.
To: George L.
Hello George L.,
I hope you’re doing well. Would you be interested in having coffee this month to discuss our upcoming presentation? I am available next week on these dates and times:
Monday, 10/7/19 before noon
Tuesday, 10/8/19 before noon
Thursday, 10/10/19 between 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Friday, 10/11/19 before 11 am
If those dates and times do not work for you, let me know what your availability is the following week. I look forward to hearing back from you.
~ Jessica P.
Wed. 10/2/19
8:07 a.m.
From: George L.
To: Jessica P.
Hi Jessica P.,
Thank you for your email. Yes, I think it would be a good idea to schedule time together to discuss the presentation. Let’s meet next Tuesday 10/8/19 at 9:30 a.m. at the Peet’s on Mission Street. I’ve sent a calendar request. See you then!
Thanks, George L.
Too often we put the onerous on the other person to check their schedule first because we do not want to be inconvenienced giving dates if the other person is not interested or able to meet. However, as shown in this example, the back-and-forth is unnecessary, inefficient, and simply a delay tactic. These types of interactions are not limited to setting meetings.
Tip-#4
Pay attention to what you are writing to the other person. Can you provide a little more information or be more deliberate in what you are sending to them to elicit a more productive conversation for both of you?
For more tips on how to manage your email, visit www.firm-focus.com/resources for a free download of Outlook tips. You may also contact me, and I’d be happy to discuss productive email flow with you!
[i] Have you heard of this game? I have a client who was telling me about it. Twice now he has been the unlucky fella who ended up with a large dining bill and a bill at Louis Vuitton in Vegas. Right? Who plays this while at Louis Vuitton? I’ll stick with my penny slots.
[ii] Enhance that focus by setting timers while working on a project or in deep work and gifting yourself the break at the end of it to check email, scroll Facebook, or take a walk.
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