Always keeping emails short is a simple rule, but the effects can be profound. Once you no longer think of email as a general-purpose tool for talking about anything at any time, its stranglehold on your attention will diminish.

There is an underlying belief, in the knowledge sector, that hyper-communication equals work. We are part of a workflow centered around ongoing conversations fueled by unstructured and unscheduled messages delivered through digital communication tools like email and instant messenger services. Constantly switching tasks and responding to email fuels our human need to rationalize what is happening around us, often helping us flee from the more nuanced and complex reality.

The Hyperactive Hive Mind

According to data gathered by the time-tracking software <a href=https://www.rescuetime.com/ class="idea-content-link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">RescueTime</a><ul><li>Half of the users check communication applications like email or Slack every six minutes or less.</li><li>The most common average checking time was once every minute.</li><li>For half the users studied, the longest unbroken period of work was no more than forty minutes, with the most typical longest time being only twenty minutes.</li><li>More than two-thirds of users never experienced an hour without an interruption.</li><li>For business users, the average email volume was 126 messages per day.</li></ul>

A terrible way to extract value from human neurons

Attention switching costs are huge on our brains and workflows. This means that constantly jumping from one task to another brings with it a significant cognitive load that slows down our ability to focus and get the most out of our work. Yet, reactively replying to emails appears to be a “productive” use of our time on most occasions, due to the perceived convenience of this workflow in the short run.

Email reduces productivity

For those individuals who score high in neuroticism (a <a href="https://simonesmerilli.com/life/personality-big-five" target="_self">personality trait</a> that is correlated with high levels of anxiety and negative emotions), the mere thought of batching email replies or using a more mindful approach to this tool can be stress-inducing. This is because of the paleolithic nature of our social-animal brains, who feel FOMO (fear of missing out) and uneasiness at the mere thought of not replying instantly to interactions with other human beings who are part of our same tribe.

Email makes us miserable

There's nothing fundamental about these newly increased workloads; they're instead an unintended side effect—a source of stress and anxiety that we can diminish if we're willing to step away from the frenetic back-and-forth that defines the hyperactive hive mind workflow.

The rate of spread of email since the 90s has been outstanding, almost to such a point that the hyperactive hive mind workflow has chosen us. 3 main drivers for this<ul><li>“The hidden costs of asynchrony”: synchrony might be “expensive” to set up, but constant asynchrony is much more expensive in the long term, as issues that may be solved in a couple of minutes tend to stretch in long threads of mindless back and forth.</li><li>“The cycle of responsiveness”: Email fuels an endless feedback loop, that no one actually actively decided to implement rationally.</li><li>"The caveman at the computer screen"</li></ul>

Email has a mind of its own

Once we understand the contours of our frustrations with knowledge work, we recognize that we have the potential to make these efforts not only massively more productive but also massively more fulfilling and sustainable.

Attention capital is creating workflows that optimize the human brain's ability to add value to information. Not just to chase our own tails and send and receive more emails. The optimal way to deploy our human brains is sequentially. There are 2 main components to knowledge work:&nbsp;<ul><li>work execution, which requires more autonomy and is where knowledge workers use their brains and skills</li><li>&nbsp;workflow, which is where you need less autonomy because it is the structure and coordination of the work</li></ul>

The attention capital principle

Incorporating efficient production processes into knowledge work can make an incredible difference in increasing performance and minimizes ambiguity as to what to work on at any given time. Task boards like Asana and Trello are some of the key tools when it comes to setting up processes. For a production process to be effective, it should be:<ul><li>Easy to review who's working on what and how that work is going</li><li>Possible to make progress without lots of unscheduled communication</li><li>Known procedures for updating assignments to minimize both unscheduled communication and ambiguity</li></ul>

The process principle

By spending more time setting up rules or protocols for work in advance, we can spend less effort coordinating the work at the moment. An eg: The standard protocol meeting scheduling is "energy-minimizing email ping pong," which has a low energy cost at the moment but large cognitive costs long-term. Something like a scheduling link or open office hours can change that dramatically. Consider, customer support protocols like using team emails instead of personal ones Also, consider email protocols like not promising to reply to every email and keeping emails short.

The protocol principle

The specialization principle says that doing fewer things with higher quality and more accountability can significantly improve productivity. Basically, applying essentialism to knowledge work. Less intense ways to further specialize are:<ul><li dir = "auto">Outsourcing what you don't do well</li><li dir = "auto">Giving your <a href="https://workbrighter.co/remote-management/" target="_self">team</a> more autonomy</li><li dir = "auto">Sprinting on specific projects</li><li dir = "auto">Considering budgeting attention, workloads, or meeting time</li></ul>Companies should also consider supercharging support staff and making those roles more efficient, building smart interfaces between specialists and support or different departments.

THE SPECIALIZATION PRINCIPLE

Outlines recommendations for business leaders on how to maximize a working team's professional productivity by improving administrative support and streamlining digital traffic.

Stashed ideas

A World Without Email - Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload

Effective emails can help you reclaim a large portion of your workday, increase your productivity, and improve your chances of getting a reply.The average worker spends 28 percent of their day reading and answering email, according to a 2012 study by New York City based management consulting firm. Keeping emails brief and to the point can help you reclaim some of this time.Here are the best emails tips you should use while sending your emails .

Why Effective Email Necessary ?

When you write an email, it should provide just enough information to answer these five questions: Who are you? What do you want? Why are you asking me? Why should I do what you're asking? What is the next step?"This is all an intelligent person needs to know to make a decision"

1. Your Email Should Answer Five Simple Questions

Read your email over and take out any superfluous information before you hit send. People who feel a need to tell their life story probably believe their request is on shaky ground in the first place, says Kawasaki. But more information won't get the recipient to take action. "Long emails are either unread or, if they are read, they are unanswered,"

2. Cut out excessive details to get a response

Limiting yourself to five sentences forces you to think in a concise manner, helping you stay focused and save time. Shorter emails also allow the recipient to make a quick decision on what action to take, increasing the likelihood that you'll receive a reply.If you want to encourage the recipient to reply in a similar fashion, web designer Mike Davidson created five.sentences, a website that explains the philosophy and includes text you can copy and paste into your email

3. Shorter emails will help you stay focused

The tone of an email is difficult to assess, but more often than not, the reader will assign a tone, even when one was not intended, so be careful not to craft the email with tone by watching the use of exclamation marks, using inflammatory words, etc.

4. Watch Your Tone

More and more you see quotes at the bottom of emails. Some are benign inspirational quotes, such as “Be the best you can be every day,” these are fine" however, avoid quotes with religious meaning, quotes that could be viewed as excluding others, etc. could offend a co-worker, a client, or a vendor, which could result in the loss of productivity and business.

5. Avoid Quotes That Could Be Offensive To Others

Productivity

Best Email Advices

If you are tired of getting your email lost in other people’s inboxes and looking to use alternative correspondence, this article is for you.

How to write impactful emails

<ul><li>perfect formal phrase, a classic</li><li>genuine & comes from the heart</li><li>says thank you</li><li>a beginning line</li></ul>

1. It’s great to hear from you

<ul><li>top performers ask for advice rather than feedback</li><li>flatters & butters up the person you're emailing</li><li>but polite & respectful too</li><li>helps improve your performance</li></ul>

2. I’m eager to get your expertise on [insert topic]

<ul><li>a phrase that congratulates or signifies your appreciation for their personal activity</li><li>great way to win the favour of the recipient</li><li>an excellent way to deepen a relationship</li><li>helps you grow relationships with your colleagues</li></ul>

3. I loved your recent [insert activity]

<ul><li>use when you haven’t seen someone in a while and hope to continue to grow the relationship</li><li>add details to this phrase on why it was great to see them</li><li>don’t assume that the other person remembers seeing you</li><li>helps you connect with colleagues you have lost touch with</li></ul>

4. It was great to see you [insert where]

<ul><li>you see something that reminds you of someone in a positive way, you should send that energy out into the world and share those thoughts with the other person</li><li>don't be afraid to share what you are thinking</li><li>it works because you make work more personal and less formal</li><li>everyone loves to hear that other people are thinking about them</li></ul>

5. This [article or photo] made me think of you

<ul><li>a twist on the “I hope you had a good weekend.”</li><li>goes into your curiosity about how their day is going</li><li>better than, “how are you?”</li></ul>

6. I hope today is treating you well

<ul><li>works when you are emailing the other person, and they responded within 24 hours</li><li>thanking the other person that they made you a priority should not go unnoticed</li><li>if your colleagues work/live in a different time zone, this shows how grateful you are for their time and input</li><li>colleagues like to work with others who are humble and thankful</li></ul>

7. Thank you for your quick response

Ensure your emails get read and you become known as a good person with good email correspondence etiquette. Intelligent people have mastered phrases that make sure their emails are returned.

Bringing It All Together

Smart people at work compose emails differently. This article will walk through formal and informal phrases that work when you are writing emails at work.

Career

Smart People Compose Emails at Work Using These 7 Phrases

Successful people write emails that help achieve the objective while not wasting a single moment of the recipient.The communication tool only works when your words are worthwhile, accurate and touch the right points effectively.

Writing Effective Emails

Communication

If you have seen the person do something like make a speech or win an award, a brief mention or congratulation gives a personified touch to your email, increasing the effectiveness of the task or inquiry.

Topical Personalisation

If there is something new or worthwhile happening in your life, like an incoming trip, or an article you wrote, you could update to the recipient. If they happen to have an opportunity, the news you share helps them recall you better.

Share your News

Email communication can be spruced up with something topical regarding current news in the recipients' region, to create an emotional connection and bridge the electronic gap.

Be aware of Current Happenings

<ul><li>In an email which has an event or plan, we need to give sufficient and concise information.</li><li>Answer the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, and Why, as applicable.</li><li>This reduces the clutter of back and forth emails, and you respect the time of the recipient.</li></ul>

The Five Ws

<blockquote>"When you start with the word “I,” it sends a message that you are more important than the person that you’re communicating with,” </blockquote>Jonathan TischCEO - Loews Hotels

Don't Start with "I"

<h2> </h2><h2>Check for the attachment that you mentioned in the email.</h2>

Attach the Document

Do not exaggerate or say things that are not true. You can simply ask for clarification, without stating anything fictitious.

Stick to Facts

<ul><li>Often we misrepresent ourselves with an unintended tone.</li><li>Reread your email for tonal accuracy and politeness.</li><li>Don't use the word 'you' too much.</li></ul>

The Tone

<ul><li>Spell Check and proofread your email for common typing errors and spelling mistakes.</li><li>Don't say 'Please ignore/excuse Typos' as it only sends the message that you don't care.</li></ul>

Please Excuse Typos

Every email you send, you spend precious capital. Time is a valuable resource, and you can waste people's time if your communications are not worthwhile or incomplete. Send a few unhelpful emails, and you could lose the person forever. To ensure that people will respond to or act upon your email, be thorough and accurate.

How Successful People Write Emails To Get What They Want (That'll Help You Achieve Your Goals)

When you send an email without seeing things from the other person’s perspective, your email ends up sounding generic. Tailoring your email to an individual lets them know you put effort and thought into your message. And when you take the time to understand the other person, chances are, they’ll do the same for you.

Think about  the receiver

Be tactful, but also straightforward. If you need help or advice, it’s okay to ask. And to get the best results, warm up your approach first. Get to know the other person.People can see through messages like that easily. It comes off as insincere if you offer someone help and then immediately ask for something in return.

Practice sincerity

Make sure you’re emailing the right person. You can execute the most brilliant emailing techniques…but if you email the wrong person, it’s all for nothing.<div>The right person usually is the one most able and willing to help.</div>

Emailing the right person

When you send a message that asks the receiver a number of things, the other person can easily end up overwhelmed. In the end, the person will struggle to provide the answer you’re looking for and can even choose to not answer at all.Ending your email with your one question makes it much easier for the other person to figure out what it is you want.

Have a clear objective

The key to writing effective emails is to keep things concise, courteous, and clear. The easier you make things on the receiver, the more likely they’ll communicate and try to help you with your request.

Clear and simple

Most emails that land in a busy person's inbox are shoved aside and forgotten. To the recipient, messages from strangers are pesky, irrelevant, or both. They're usually vague requests for help that offer nothing in return to the reader. But there are exceptions.

email

CAL NEWPORT

A World Without Email - Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload

Why Effective Email Necessary ?

Best Email Advices

How to write impactful emails

Smart People Compose Emails at Work Using These 7 Phrases