Do You Respond To Emails Fashionably Late?

from the changing-rules dept

Now that email is pervasive in our society, researchers are starting to take a closer look at psychological issues related to emails. While the article briefly touches on a few, the opening paragraphs discuss the time frame for replying to emails -- which can touch a nerve for some. As people get more and more emails, they often need a system for replying, that includes some sort of prioritization or nothing will ever get done. There's even a perception, among some, that responding too quickly to emails suggests you're not working hard enough -- or that you're not important enough. So, that means some folks purposely store away emails to reply later, even if they can reply immediately. Of course, in the past we've noted that busy execs all seem to have their own ways to handle email overload, suggesting that there is no one right way to do so. Still, that hasn't stopped some bosses from forcing their own views of email management on employees by doing things like completely banning intra-office emails or simply having email free days.
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  1. identicon
    Brian, 17 May 2005 @ 11:15am

    No Subject Given

    To be honest, I am one of those who tends to not respond to e-mails right away, because otherwise it may seem like I have little to do other than sit around waiting to respond to e-mails. Waiting an hour or two gives the impression that I was occupied by other things and didn't have time to check e-mail. I suspect this behavior is not uncommon.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Steve Portigal, 17 May 2005 @ 12:00pm

    replying to emails

    I routinely compose replies which I then queue for later sending (an easy thing to do in Eudora) - so as to not seem to be immediately available, or available outside work hours, or to avoid getting into a semi-real-time interaction.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 May 2005 @ 12:31pm

    No Subject Given

    > There's even a perception, among some, that responding too quickly to emails suggests you're not working hard enough -- or that you're not important enough. < br>
    That explains why that girl still hasn't responded to the email I sent her ten years ago in college asking her for a date! Ok, honey. I get it. You're important. Can we go out now?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    thecaptain, 17 May 2005 @ 1:08pm

    Re: replying to emails

    I can't do that....most ppl have return-receipts generated in my company :)

    So I simply do NOT read emails right away :) hehe.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    MLO, 17 May 2005 @ 1:54pm

    No Subject Given

    I avoid email simply because I a)get so many automated emails from server services and the like and b) receive a ton due to cross-emailing. Sometimes if I wait it out, the people on the email list tend to solve it themselves.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 May 2005 @ 5:07am

    No Subject Given

    link to this | view in thread ]


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