How email can actually enhance your productivity
Confession: I love email.
It’s not exactly a popular opinion these days.
As Don Norman said in a 2015 Fast Company story, “email is the office memo turned cancerous, extended to home and everyday life.”
Google “I hate email” and you get everything from cartoons to blog posts to active Reddit threads.
More drastically, some companies have even banned internal email, calling it a “pollution” that saps productivity and kills personal time.
I respectfully disagree.
Email certainly isn’t perfect, but if you create reliable systems and take control of your inbox, it can actually enhance your productivity.
Before we get into the how, let’s talk about the why of email.
The purpose of email
Everyone should create their own rules, but I use my inbox for three reasons:
1. Asynchronous communication
Texts and instant messaging products like Slack are great. Collaboration tools such as Basecamp, Asana, and Trello can also be incredibly helpful. Yet, there are situations when email still works best, like asking a question that requires more thoughtful consideration. Or, sharing an idea…
