What’s Message of Email Clutter?

One of the more common complaints I hear from managers concerns emails - too many, unnecessary and never ending.  Unopened emails linger over the manager’s head and create a sense of resignation as the train of email appears to have no end.

Several different approaches are used to cope with this endless list – ignore them, cherry pick some (maybe the funny ones), try to read all of them or a combination of these techniques.  This may work, temporarily.  But then the cycle of receiving emails continues.  How do you get out in front of the tidal wave of emails and stay there?

A high volume of email traffic can be symptomatic of a bigger issue.  Emails can be a request for guidance, information or possibly a process which needs to be provided.   In which case, the solution resides outside the use of emails.  Figuring out if the emails fit into one of these needs and reducing the number of emails is a two step process.

The first step is to figure if there is a way to group any of the emails being received. Who is sending emails, either by person or group?  Is there a common theme?  Do the emails seek information in any sort of pattern?  Does the number of emails increase in conjunction with an event or a certain date?  Some of the emails will fit into a category and that category is one that can be addressed in a more comprehensive method rather than using piece meal emails.

Once a category has been identified the next step is to understand what is needed to address the underlying need for a group of emails.  If the emails are coming from one specific group of people, then that group needs to be engaged to find out what is needed to clear up the confusion prompting the high volume of emails.

If the emails are grouped under a new initiative, then the plan might need to be either more fully developed or explained.  If the emails are about a procedure, then that procedure needs to be refined/ communicated.  Sometimes emails are a manifestation of a personal agenda such as passing the buck, covert resistance or a cry for attention.   If there is someone flooding the email channel a deeper look is required to understand why so many emails are being sent.

The problem with the volume of emails doesn’t have to be solved all at once.  Identify a trend in emails that is causing an inbox to overflow and start working on it.  If the root issue is being addressed, the number of emails in this category will decline noticeably. 

Avoidance of emails isn’t a solution.  Bosses lose credibility when emails go unanswered and people come up with their own solutions without guidance.  When emails don’t get answered there is a tendency to ‘amp up the volume’ so more emails are sent.  All of this results in frustration and confusion.

More than likely if a manager is frustrated by emails, other are also.  Developing a better solution for doing business will reduce both confusion and the number of emails.