Although practically every organization is full of knowledge workers groaning under a deluge of email, it’s interesting to note that in many of them I run into a small minority of people who have things under control. I discover them on occasion when I explain the various solutions I can bring in, and someone says “Oh, but I already handle this by…” or “I never do that, I always…”
The things they do vary; my favorite are the rare heroes who tell me they turn off all electronic devices after work hours, but there are many variations. Basically these people have developed, on their own, Individual Coping Strategies that permit them to thrive despite the pressure of information overload. These strategies usually coincide with ones I evangelize, perhaps not surprisingly, but are self-developed from scratch by each such individual.
Now, if only they’d proliferate their methods to the entire organization! Rarely someone does, as I’ve described here, but most of these people are happy to use their methods for themselves without raising awareness to it around them. They’re staying afloat, all alone while those around them struggle in vain against the flood of messages. Their impact is felt, however, when the organization – or a senior leader in it – decides to take action; they can set an example when the time comes for a change.
If you are one of these trailblazers, do share your favorite method in the comments!
I use my blackberry’s auto-off/on function to have it shut down at dinner and start up after breakfast. No interruptions allow me to focus on my personal life.
To stem the e-mail inbox overflow, I use Outlook’s ‘Create Rule’ function to automatically route my non-urgent Read/File messages (newsletters, generic e-mails to staff, etc.) to their own folder and I skim them when I make time to do so. This way, they don’t clutter my inbox allowing me to focus on important messages and tasks.
Very cool, JS! Automating the shutdown of the BB is a nice touch…
The question is what impact that has on their careers? The big fear people have is that shutting down after-hours will harm their career progression. It is easy for someone who is already near the top of an organization to do so, but what about those who are striving to climb?
Indeed, Tema, and that is why when we get to this type of solutions I always advise my clients to start at the top… once the senior managers adopt the required behavior (and make it well known that they have) their subordinates find it easier to lose that fear and adopt the behavior themselves.