Email….Can't live with it, can't live without it. I hear about email problems all the time when I teach Communication Skills classes. After teaching a class 2 weeks ago, it was the last straw. For some reason, after that class, I decided to go on an email fast. No email for a week. I thought I could it, I couldn't. What I discovered is:
1. Email is great for appointment setting / confirming
2. Email works great as a next to best solution when traveling and need to get some work done at night.
3. The phone is still a better invention. You can get so much more done, learn more, and build better relationships over the phone.
I encourage you all to try it: 1 week with no email. See if you can. And even if you can't, see what you learn.... Below are my daily diary entries during my experiment.
Day 1 I feel great. I have so much less stress, like I was released from prison. I had several conversations today with people I wouldn't have - key contacts and clients.. I called instead of emailing. I learned new things about what was going on from chatting. I also received more calls, but seems like less work, as once the call is over, the task is done - no back and forth through email.
Day 2 Some slippage back to email. Still made more phone calls and had conversations and connections I would not have made with. It takes more patience, faith and comfort with discomfort to not email and wait to connect over the phone. Sometimes it is easier to just dump it (idea, thought, feeling) through email. The downside is that I miss their reaction.
Day 3 (weekend) Received an email from someone who was upset - wasn't sure what to do....it deserved a call, but it was the weekend. I sent an email, and while it did seem to address the issue, it felt weird to do it through email. Will call them later in the week to work it out voice to voice.
Day 4 & 5 Traveling on business. Email is good for connecting with people at night when I am just getting back to my hotel. Still I left several late night voicemail messages to express urgency via voice and words.
Day 6 Almost a week - I am getting the hang of this. I have a conversation with a colleague that I would have just emailed, and through it get a really good idea about how to handle a tough situation. It is clear that people respond to me, based I how I reach out to them: If I email, they email me back. If I call, they call.
Day 7 I have learned a lot and feel much less stressed overall than usual. Not so much living by email. Feel like I made some good connections and gathered good information from phone calls I NEVER would have.
