It can be counterproductive to respond to questions quickly or too often. Learn about some tips on when to respond quickly, when not to, and how to delay sending your response.
- What you're waiting for a response from someone and you need the information urgently, it can be really frustrating to not hear back from them. On the other side, we also fall into the trap of communicating too frequently with someone about issues that are of minor importance. How can you speed urgent communication up while slowing down less urgent communication so you have less switches in your day? There are two selections to this: expectations and frequency of response.
First, if you're going to be working on an urgent project with a team member and you're fast approaching a deadline, it might help to take just two minutes to set expectations for response rates. Something like this: We've got a deadline fast approaching on Tuesday. Because of that, I think both of us should be more responsive on email for the next few days. Let's try to check our email once every two hours at minimum and get back to each other whenever we see a message.
You can also manage expectations for urgent things by using a messaging service. I personally believe text messages and chat apps should only be used for urgent and emergency situations. You could also communicate with the other person that because you've got an urgent deadline, you can use these services more for the next little bit. Now, on the other side, if you are finding that people are sending you emails too frequently about things that really don't matter, one of the easiest ways to manage it is by slowing down your frequency of communication.
If someone sends you an email about a less important topic, and you reply to them in five minutes, you're communicating to them that you really want to talk about it. Send me more about this as quickly as you can. Past patterns of communication will indicate future likelihood of communication. So simply take longer to reply. But what if you poked your head into the email, checked it, and you saw something you want to deal with because it's top of mind? However, at the same time you don't want to reply too quickly because you want to slow down communication.
One tool that you can use to do this is scheduled or delayed sending. For instance, in Outlook there's an option that many people are not aware of which enables you to delay delivery. You can create your email response and then set the time that your email program should send it. Other email apps have this feature sometimes, usually with the help of an add-on. By managing the expectations of others and controlling your frequency of response, you can make small changes in the pattern of communication.
These changes can save you big amounts of time in the long run. One tool that you can use to do this is scheduled or delayed sending. For instance, in Outlook there's an option that many people are not well aware of which enables you to delay delivery. You can create your email response and then set the time that your email program should send it. Other email apps have this feature sometimes, usually with the help of an add-on.
By managing the expectations of others and controlling your frequency of response, you can make small changes in the pattern of communication. These changes can save you big amounts of time in the long run.
Author
Updated
4/15/2019Released
4/11/2016Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw provides techniques on a wide variety of topics, designed to help people better manage their time and ultimately become more productive. Tune in to learn about everything from managing emails and calendars to setting priorities, collaborating with coworkers, reducing interruptions, crafting a "productivity mindset," and creating a more comfortable and effective work environment.
Have an idea for a future video from Dave? Submit it using our course feedback form. If you want more time management strategies now, we recommend watching Dave's Time Management Fundamentals course.
- Reducing interruptions
- Dealing with feeling overwhelmed
- Responding to quick questions
- Making the most of meetings
- Following up
- Implementing a closed door, open calendar policy
Skill Level Intermediate
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Introduction
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Welcome43s
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1. Time Management Tips
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Power tips for sending email3m 14s
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Positive procrastination3m 15s
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Remove the "busy" tag2m 58s
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Manage digital interruptions4m 19s
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Make the most of meetings2m 52s
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Become tech savvy4m 33s
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Focus on the person2m 37s
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Time management for students2m 59s
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Ending meetings with action1m 44s
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Building a not-to-do list2m 46s
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Avoiding the crowd mindset2m 58s
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Placing a value on your time3m 30s
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How to schedule a meeting3m 35s
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How to develop flexibility4m 19s
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The trouble with texting3m 48s
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Create a perhaps list4m 58s
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Reduce attention switches4m 46s
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Adapt your favorite app4m 33s
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Make time to get more time3m 49s
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Read vs. unread email3m 52s
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Make time to have fun3m 57s
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Create a morning ritual3m 23s
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When to create new homes3m 26s
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How to reduce spam3m 48s
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Why repetition saves time2m 48s
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Productive passwords2m 3s
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Productive web browser tips1m 51s
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Writing a productive email1m 55s
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Commit to your calendar1m 54s
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What to say instead of ASAP1m 46s
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Set voicemail expectations1m 43s
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Set email expectations1m 46s
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How to use an inbox1m 41s
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How to use an outbox1m 53s
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Video: Manage the rate of communication