Addicted to the Ding

Are you or someone you know addicted to the ding, the audible notice that there is another e-mail message in your inbox? We have found that a considerable number of our new clients are spending hours “doing e-mail,” whether at their desks or away from their offices on their PDA’s. While you could question whether e-mail represents a true addiction, I am sure you would agree there is an addictive quality to email. So how did e-mail become so addictive, and what can we do about it? Read on for key insights and suggestions for solving the addiction to the ding.

Eliminate the Stimulus

Like Pavlov’s dogs, many of us simply have gotten conditioned to responding to the sound of a bell. But having these alarms turned on presumes that whatever lands in your inbox is more important than what you are doing at the moment. Furthermore, as human beings we tend to pay attention to the most distracting element in our environment. This tendency may have kept us safe as early humans thousands of years ago, but it can be a punishing annoyance today. So for those of you who have your “dingers” turned on, I urge you to consider turning them off. By eliminating this type of stimulus you will go a long way toward eliminating the associated response.

Establish Clear Communication Protocols

All too often, “living in the inbox” can be a sign of poor boundaries and unclear communication protocols. To reduce your e-mail volume and the temptation to respond immediately, be aware of what type of information is being communicated through e-mail. High volume and poor quality communication are created when people try to use e-mail for complex activities such as decision making, problem solving, brainstorming, or delivering emotionally charged content. E-mail is best used for:

• Communicating a decision once it’s been made
• Information dissemination
• Simple delegation
• Distributing documents

Respond to E-mails that Relate to Meaningful Objectives

Hitting the send button multiple times throughout the day may provide you with that sense of completion you desire, but are your e-mails truly a reflection of your most important priorities? In other words are your e-mails directly related to your Meaningful Objectives? We suggest you measure your productivity on the completion of steps you take towards achieving major goals. In doing so, you will replace your reactivity to incoming e-mails with a proactive approach to getting the right things done at the right time.

Your Meaningful Objectives will cascade to Supporting Projects, followed by Strategic Next Actions (SNAs). An SNA is simply an action that relates to a Meaningful Objective and is physically doable with no dependencies. If there is a dependency on an action, you won’t be able to complete the task. “Improve health” is not a Strategic Next Action. “Call Dentist to schedule a check-up” is. Completing SNAs frequently involves email communications, but to minimize your time in the inbox, they should always be driven by your Meaningful Objectives.

Tools for Learning More

By learning better processes for managing e-mail and improving productivity, you can break your addiction to the ding. For more in-depth, self-paced learning, check out our popular Take Back Your Life! E-Mail 101 and Refresher Series Webinars. Free previews are available at www.mcgheeproductivity.com/products.

--Anne McGhee Stinson, Executive Consultant

Thanks for your interest in McGhee Productivity Solutions.
We look forward to serving you in the future!

www.mcgheeproductivity.com

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