I am easily enticed when it comes to productivity hacks. Perhaps there is no greater place to heighten workplace efficiency than with emails, as emails consume roughly two hours per day for the average worker. This is certainly true in construction, as it is in other industries.
Consider the research from PPM Express, which suggests establishing time for emails can be challenging when managing a construction team. The statistics are staggering too. Each day in 2022, an estimated 333 billion emails were sent and received worldwide, and this figure is projected to surge to 392.5 billion daily emails by 2026.
For some, it consumes a large portion of the day. Globally, 99% of email users check email letters daily, with some individuals checking up to twenty times daily. Roughly 58% of workers admit to checking their email as the very first task of their workday. Often this will lead to context switching, which is when an employee shifts attention between tasks to check emails. This limits the amount of deep work that can be done in a day.
Still, for many workers, reaching inbox zero at some point during the day or week is a big priority, as it means being responsive to clients and partners. So how can workers achieve this without cutting into too much on-the-job working time? That is the question that remains elusive for many.
We share some ideas for how to achieve this.
It starts by creating a culture. PPM Express suggests establishing clear communication guidelines, scheduling dedicated email time, using email filters and folders, using collaboration tools, and providing workshops and training on effective email management.
It also requires mindful practices including considering whether a worker really needs to reply all, limiting email and social media for personal tasks at work, implementing email-free hours or days, and unsubscribing from emails that are clogging up an inbox, suggests PPM Express.
Certainly, this is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Messaging Architects, an eMazzanti Technologies Company and email solutions firm, shares four keyways to save valuable time by approaching email more efficiently.
Follow an inbox policy. This could include creating folders for different projects, customers, or topics. Flags, pins, and categories can help to highlight priorities in Microsoft Outlook.
Archive or delete old emails. Get rid of the emails that are no longer needed so it helps clear out space for new, more important messages.
Help others by being concise. Make sure to highlight critical information and use a subject line that summarizes the main point of the email. It will help find information faster later.
Know when to not use email. Today, there are many collaboration platforms for exchanging information and connecting with colleagues and clients. Consider if email is in fact the best form of communication.
At the end of the day, how we leverage our technology solutions is a direct indication of how efficient we are at our jobs. Email is certainly just one example. This can extend to other platforms such as estimating, project management, accounting, you name it. The bottomline is companies need to have good policies in place to ensure workers are effectively doing their jobs.
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