Any self-aware person will know that email is evil, so we will discuss how to make it less evil.  How can you be more productive with email?

Below we discuss why email is evil, and what you can do about it:

• Why Email is Evil.
• Making Incoming Email Less Evil
• Making Outgoing Email Less Evil

Why Email is Evil

• It’s a time killer. Some people report spending up to 20 hours per week dealing with email.  In almost all cases, this is way too much.
• Email is not an effective way to communicate.  Email is a horrible way to communicate with others.  It lacks context; emotions are easily misconstrued; and it is too impersonal to be meaningful.  It can be a useful tool for moving information around, but that is not the same as communicating.
• Email is particularly evil when users feel the pressure of instant or “pavlovian response”.  Just because the email chime sounds, doesn’t mean you have to check to see who has sent you a note.
• It looks and feels remarkably like work.  Email is not work, although we like to think that it is.  It is an escape from work at its worst, and at its best it should be an enabler of work, or a tool.  However, never mistake the managing of email as actual work.

How to Make Incoming Email Less Evil

If you believe that email is evil, then your mission now must be to figure out what to do about it.  You don’t have much control over what email gets sent to you, so you need build coping strategies into your day:

1. Limit your time on email.  You need to block time daily to deal with email, and once that time has elapsed, you need to go do some real work.  For example, you may want to set aside 30 minutes each morning to deal with you email, and then another 15 minute follow up in the mid-afternoon.
2. Turn off the email chime.  It is a cruel joke that a bell sounds every time we get an email.  If you feel pressure to check your email every time you hear the bell, you should turn the bell off.
3. Deliver all cc emails to a separate folder outside your Inbox.  Many people copy the whole world on their emails, so you should consider any email that is not addressed to you directly to be of secondary importance.
4. Create expectations in others as to how you will respond to email.  Many people expect an instant response to email.  It is up to you to temper this expectation.  In some professions, it is necessary to have a turnaround time of minutes on an email.  For the vast majority of us, this is not necessary, and you should let people know that you only look at your email once or twice a day.

How to Make Outgoing Email Less Evil

You want to make sure that your actions are not contributing to others’ ongoing struggle with email.  To that end, exercise as much self-control as possible when sending email:

1. Use “Reply to All” sparingly, if ever.  Don’t jam up others’ email inboxes unnecessarily.
2. Never use email to deal with an emotional issue.  When dealing with an emotional or otherwise potentially volatile issue, you need to choose a different communication media.  Email is not appropriate.  And certainly, never send an email in anger – you will regret it after the fact, and there is a permanent record of your outburst.
3. Compose email properly.  We don’t claim to be the etiquette police, but there are some simple rules for using email.
   1. Spelling. You look like a dolt if you send an email full of spelling errors – especially considering most email applications point out those spelling mistakes.
   2. Don’t use all caps.  It’s an old rule, but it really does show a lack of consideration (or awareness) when you send out an email all in upper case.
   3. Remember there is a permanent record – don’t say inappropriate things.  Much like that inappropriate comment you wrote into someone’s high school yearbook, you can’t take it back after the fact.
   4. Don’t send one-word responses such as “thank you” or “OK”.  Assume the other person would prefer not be thanked over having more junk in their Inbox.
   5. Put something meaningful in the “Subject” box.  Many people delete email without opening it, and the best way to make sure your email is deleted without a view is to skip the subject box.

3 Things to Remember About Why Email is Evil:

1. Email is not work, nor is it productive.  It is a necessary evil (at best).
2. Use it as a tool, but don’t let it manage you.  If half your work day is spent dealing with email, you need to make some changes.
3. Use the E-Golden Rule:  treat others on email, as you wish to be treated.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Email is Evil (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

Looking for the Full-Length Podcast/Video? …

Get Instant Access to 200+ Cheat Sheets, Videos, and Other Immediately Usable Tools for Busy Managers – Try Out a Wily Manager Membership Today!