Some days it seems like half your e-mail time is spent sending short replies to people to let them know you got their e-mail.
“Thanks!” “Got it!” “Working on it!”
Of course, there are times when an important e-mail requires confirmation. But for the most part, it’s just a courtesy.
So let’s all agree to stop. It cuts down on productivity. And the time would be better spent writing and following up on e-mails that do require a response.
So here’s what you do. Before hitting “Send,” type “No Response Necessary” in the message or even on the subject line. (In Outlook, you can simply click the little red flag on your toolbar and choose that option from the dropdown menu.)
Ask your colleagues to do the same. Before you know it, that flurry of unnecessary replies will stop and you will have added hours to your workweek.
[Ed. Note: You'll find dozens of productivity "tricks" just like this in Unscrew Your Life, Early to Rise's monthly newsletter devoted to helping you overcome life's obstacles - big and small, at home, at work, and everywhere in between.]
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Hi Jason,
I normally enjoy your articles, but I think I’ll have to respectfully disagree with the one about ‘thank you’ emails.
While ‘thank you’ emails can indeed clutter up the inbox, I’ve found this simple act of courtesy can improve working relationships.
I once sent a simple ‘Thanks ‘ message to a IT helpdesk guy in response to a rather abrupt answer he gave to a question I had. He replied to the ‘thank you’ email with a far more extensive and helpful response to my original query. I can remember a number of similar incidents.
Basic politeness is very rare these days, so I don’t think we should abandon the ‘thank you’ email completely, even if it does marginally improve productivity.