Inbox Handicap?
Tim Sandershad a great post last week about his email inbox handicap. It’s a subject I have talked about in the past, and thought his article was worth the read.
Personally, my handicap on most days is 0. Period. If there are a couple left there, the best explanation is they came in minutes before I had to run out the door for an event that I was more than likely late for anyway.
Some may call this a bit obsessive behavior, and they would probably be correct, but there are a few reasons why it’s mandatory (in my mind):
- The sender took time out of his/her day to send me the email. That day. Not tomorrow or later in the week. If they send on Monday, they should get a response on Monday.
- I sleep better knowing I completed everything for the day.
- If I can respond now, rather than tomorrow, I have saved a day. More than likely, I will hear back within hours or a day. Rather than receive on Monday, reply on Tuesday, and receive a response on Wednesday I now receive a response Tuesday morning.
You may think it is impossible to respond to everybody in a day. What if you receive a full inbox at 4pm? Good question and I think the decision is up to the individual. Personally, I know I have been in the office until 1:00am due to an increase in email that needs to be answered.
