Most of us have a love/hate relationship with our inboxes, but they’re not going away anytime soon. Get a grip on email in 2022 by knowing its strengths and weaknesses:
What to do:
Note time zones
If your working hours aren’t the same as a coworker’s, schedule your messages to be sent later, says Lynne Oldham, chief people officer at Zoom. You’ll demonstrate respect for your teammate’s work-life balance.
What to avoid:
Don’t inadvertently create silos
Unless you’re sharing sensitive information, skip the email and put conversations in public threads that are searchable, says Job van der Voort, cofounder and CEO of HR software provider Remote.com. This is essential for companies with remote workers.
Don’t expect an immediate response
Use email for nonurgent announcements only. Collaboration should be done on shared platforms like Slack or by picking up the phone, says A World Without Email author Cal Newport.
