How IT executives work with mail

In our blog, we write a lot about mailing lists . E-mail is still one of the most important ways of communication ( and always will be ), but how to effectively use this tool if you have to receive and write a lot of letters every day?

Users of the resource in Quora wondered how e-mail managers of the world's largest IT companies work - after all, the flow of their correspondence should be huge. Do they hire assistants to select important letters, or do they respond only to letters from employees and relatives? We gathered in one place the most interesting examples of answers to these questions.
')
User Raul Gutierrez talked about his acquaintance with Steve Jobs. He maintained contact with the co-founder of Apple via email. Jobs responded to every letter of Gutierrez, while Steve responded to letters sent during the day a few days later, and sent to the letters sent late at night (after midnight) almost immediately.

If the sender did not sleep at that time, then he replied to his letter and again received an answer from him ... as in modern chat rooms. One day, Gutierrez asked Jobs how he was at that time, and he replied that it was just important for him to hear what ordinary people were saying about the company's products.

Steven Walker talked about how Groupon's Andrew Mason worked with email. The top manager is an Inbox Zero and OmniFocus technician.

Once we came up with a very successful system for filtering incoming emails based on his ideas. Now, as far as I know, Andrew fully trusts OmniFocus. Sometimes he answers emails within a minute. Everyone who has ever worked with Andrew, note this feature of him - the ability to respond quickly and to the point.

Another user who worked at Amazon talked about how Jeff Bezos handles incoming mail flows. The user himself was told about this by his boss, who directly worked with the creator of Amazon.

If Bezos sent him a letter or article without adding anything from himself, it meant: "I want you to be aware of this situation / problem and be ready to talk about it if I ask."

But if he put a question mark in the title of the letter, the rules changed and this meant: "I want you to understand this topic and give me an answer as soon as possible." Thus, Jeff managed a huge stream of correspondence, using only the "forward" button and a question mark.

Jimeet Shah quoted an article by Jeff Weiner, director of social networking site LinkedIn, where he talks about how he manages his mailbox.

I am always amazed by people who complain about a huge number of incoming letters and scold their mailboxes - not because their complaints are not substantiated, but because my approach to working with mail is radically different.

My mailbox, in fact, is central to the workflow - with its help, I communicate and exchange information with more than 4,300 employees in 26 offices around the world every day. Not that I have always been a fan of e-mail. She sometimes did not bring the desired results, but, nevertheless, for several years I developed some practical skills with which I now manage my mailbox, and not vice versa.

1. Want to receive less emails - send fewer emails

Such a seemingly simple solution is the golden rule for managing mail: send fewer letters.

For the first time I was convinced of the correctness of this approach at my previous place of work, where my two colleagues, with whom I had to interact most often, left the company after some time.

Both of them worked a lot and, as it turned out, were very active in correspondence. Then the flow of letters seemed absolutely normal. However, after their dismissal, I realized that the number of incoming decreased by about 20-30%.

It turned out that it was not only those letters that were sent by my former colleagues - my answers to these letters, the answers of other people participating in the general correspondence, and people who received copies of these letters, etc. were added to them.

Noticing such a dynamic, I decided to conduct an experiment in which I began to send letters only when absolutely necessary. As a result, their number decreased significantly, and it became much more convenient to work. Since then, I try to adhere to this rule.

2. Mark emails as unread

Virtually any email client can "mark the letter as unread." This functionality has completely changed my workflow.

With its help, I can quickly view mail, immediately respond to urgent emails, delete spam and other useless messages, and mark emails that I would like to return later as unread. Thus, I do not have to worry about any important email getting lost in a bunch of new messages. In addition, this feature turns the mailbox into a list of tasks that can be postponed.

I try to finish each working day with the least amount of letters marked “new” and, ultimately, reduce it to zero. If I do not have time to answer all the letters from the evening, the first thing I do is take them the next morning.

3. Set your own mode of operation

The last few years I have been following a certain regime during the work week: I wake up at 5-5.30 am; I spend about an hour in the mail; I read the latest news; I have breakfast and play with children; doing gymnastics; going to the office; I spent about two hours on unplanned cases; coming home; I put my daughters to bed; have dinner with my wife; after that, I rest, usually in front of the TV (periodically I clean my drawer during commercials or boring programs).

It turns out that managing mail is not that difficult if you stick to a certain schedule. However, every time I try to experiment and deviate a bit from my mode, travel longer than a couple of days, or if I’m busy for several days in a row, I’m amazed at how quickly my mail turns into a mess.

In this case, the accumulating effect is triggered - the number of unread messages from the previous day increases at an incredible rate, respectively, and the pressure from the outstanding cases increases. Sometimes the situation becomes so neglected that people simply delete all letters (or letters sent after a certain date). This is called “e-mail bankruptcy.”

The most effective way to avoid such a situation is to establish a regime and stick to it. If this worked for Benjamin Franklin, then it will work for you.

4. Choose your words carefully.

Words have weight. Carefully select them in your letters to avoid ambiguity and misunderstanding. The more accurately and clearly you express yourself in the initial letter, the less likely you are to receive follow-up letters with clarifying questions, and you and your team will have more time to focus directly on work.

5. Specify the addressee correctly.

Sometimes it seems that for many people there is no difference between the “To” and “Copy” lines. However, the difference is, and quite large. In the “To” line, indicate the person to whom you are sending the letter and from whom you expect an answer, and in the “Copy” line - the person you just want to inform.

One of the fastest ways to clog your mail is not enough to indicate who you are referring to in your letter. When all six people listed in the “To” line respond to your letter, you will receive six separate answers (or even six new dialogues), although you only needed one.

6. Confirm receipt

Another simple rule: If the sender of the letter took the time to put your address in the “To” line (and this letter was really meant for you), then take a minute of your time to let you know that you received his letter. It is not necessary to rant. On the contrary, the less words - the better (“Thank you”, “Received”, etc.). No further information is required from you. Thus, the person who sent the email will know that you have received the message.

If you do not answer, the sender will not be able to understand in any way whether the necessary information has been conveyed to you, and, most likely, will send another letter with the same content. At the same time, in addition to you, he will indicate other people in the “To” line in the hope that they will give an answer that you have not given.

7. Avoid sensitive topics in e-mails.

Mail can be a very effective tool if used correctly. But in some situations it is better to refrain from exchanging letters. For example, a discussion of sensitive topics in the mail can cause a controversial or overtly aggressive response from your interlocutor.

When people are touched too much by a topic, they can use words that they would never say directly to the same person. If you find yourself among the participants in a fierce online dispute, do yourself a favor - stop. And then discuss this problem by phone or in person. Live communication will allow you to take a fresh look at the situation and help extinguish unnecessary disputes and verbal wars before they start.

We look forward to your stories and tips on working with mail in the comments.