E-mail, Manage it Before it Manages You

I don't think any of us can say that on most levels that e-mail has made communications easier both at home and the office. Staying in touch with loved ones and almost instant communication with colleagues are, on the surface at least, tremendous benefits e-mail communication. The question is, has "message management" become too heavy a burden for us to manage?

Here is a simple test that might help you answer this very question:

1. Have you ever sat down at a computer for a "quick" e-mail check and then looked at the clock to see that at least an hour or so had passed?

2. What is the first thing you do when arriving at the office? If you said e-mail, ask yourself, Why?

3. Have you ever used e-mail to to hopefully avoid an actual face-to-face with someone either at home or at the office?

4. Last but not least, have you ever sent an e-mail to someone not to communicate information, but to cover your "your own you know what?"

5. Have you ever become thoroughly confused during a "Reply to All" conversation as to who was replying to what?

If you answered YES to at least 2 of these questions, you may very well be on your way to having e-mail dictate the pace of day, both at home and at the office, but don't feel bad, you are most certainly not alone.

Research conducted by Cohesive Knowledge Solutions, a corporate training firm based in Guilford Connecticut, shows that American professionals spend more than 40% of their workdays on e-mails and other information storage avenues. They go on to conclude that this adds up to a staggering loss of $300 billion in productivity according to CKS Chief Executive Mike Song. Song accurately concludes simply from these numbers that "People have reached the breaking point."

Many companies have even gone as far as to begin teaching their workforce how to manage their e-mail more efficiently. Last year, a reported 42% of companies that were surveyed said that incorporated some sort of e-mail training. This is up a healthy 24% over the last five years, so clearly a need for e-mail education is recognized.