Pick up the Phone

6 of 10 from 10 Ways to Unclutter Your Inbox and Regain Your Morning Sanity

Email is asynchronous communication, meaning that it takes place at different intervals over a period of time. Each user may read and respond to email at will, but that doesn't mean that email is always the most efficient or effective means of communicating. If you find yourself typing an email that has many long paragraphs, or if you find yourself going back and forth with someone on the same thread (e.g., "Re: re: re: re: re: re: lunch"), you will probably save yourself valuable seconds, minutes, or hours by simply picking up the phone and having a conversation with a person. Just because email is a great communication tool does not mean we have to abandon older, but still useful, means of communication.

Step 7: Limit the CCs