Out of Control E-Communication by Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

It is not uncommon for professionals to send dozens of e-mails back and forth on a particular topic, when a simple phone call or face to face meeting would have made a lot more sense.

E-mail clearly has its place as a powerful communication vehicle in the world of business, but it also has the potential to inundate us and cause great confusion, frustration, lost productivity and big money. Some questions and more importantly, some answers:

Q—Why have we become so obsessed with e-mail as a communication tool?

A—E-mail is easy, it’s fast and for a lot of people, it’s the way they would rather communicate as opposed to actually having to deal with people either in person or on the phone. It can be highly impersonal and can be used at any time of day or night. We can also share reams of information with an endless number of recipients with the press of a button. Clearly, e-mail can be an extremely efficient communication medium, but it also causes great harm.

Q—What are the most common communication issues created by overuse and misuse of e-mail?

A—In addition to wasted time and lost dollars, e-mail has the potential of building walls and creating barriers between people who really need to communicate on a more personal and human level. Further, sloppy or thoughtlessly sent e-mail can create unnecessary miscommunication and confusion. The nuance, intonation and genuine intentions behind an e-mail are often lost in the transmission.

Q—What is the financial cost of e-mail in the workplace?

A—According to the book “The Hamster Revolution: Stop Info-Glut and Reclaim Your Life,” if you took the average “knowledge-worker” salary of $30 per hour, sending an average of 100 e-mails per day, that would add up to 25 wasted days, which would mean about $6,000 per employee per year. For every 1,000 employees at this level, a company would spend over $6 million—just on e-mail. You can do the rest of the math. Yet, because we don’t see those dollars being lost in a direct line item in a budget, we often look at it as the cost of doing business. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Q—What are some actions that will cut down on the misuse of e-mail?

A—Think before you send that e-mail. Read it at least once, probably twice, and ask yourself; “Am I better off picking up the phone and telling John how I felt about his comments in this morning’s meeting?” If that brief but direct conversation with John has the potential for him to better understand what you are thinking and feeling, then don’t send the e-mail.

Further, make it clear that no response is needed to an e-mail that you send. Being polite and thanking people who send us an e-mail is nice, but it encourages more e-mail. Where does the communication cycle end?

One last thing, and I’m the biggest culprit of this. Don’t save an e-mail unless you are absolutely convinced you are going to need it or can’t find the information elsewhere. Recently I received a message on my computer that I was approaching 1,000 saved e-mails, which meant no more could be received. I spent the next three days going over those e-mails just to get rid of a few hundred. It was a huge waste of time. It’s the same as getting rid of paper that you don’t need. E-clutter is no better than paper clutter. It’s time for all of us to get our e-communication world in order.

Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102, or click here to contact him through this web site.