Can This Relationship Be Fixed?
For my women readers you know you couldn't resist this week's article. Women LOVE working on relationships. For my male readers, you know you're interested in what I'm going to say about relationships as well because you need to be. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, (yep, it's tomorrow and you can thank me for the reminder), relationships are going to be getting a lot of attention - good and bad. So now that I've perpetuated the stereotypes, let's start the conversation about one giant broken relationship...the one we all have with our inbox. I know you'll agree it's a love/hate relationship bordering more on the hate side in recent years.
First some facts. Microsoft Outlook is by far the most widely used email application in the world. It sits on about 450 million desktops. While no one seems to track email penetration among businesses, Outlook represents 99.98 percent of the measurable market. When you look at stats that say we spend 2 to 3 hours a day reading and responding to email (and that includes people who never touch a desktop - those approach 5 hours), that's a huge time suck. So while we all love Outlook, I think it could use some help in the managing of the messaging, don't you agree? Wouldn't it be nice if they figured out how we work as individuals and helped us by sorting the emails into various categories/relationships so we don't have to? Yes, the sort would happen BEFORE the mail hits the screen on our desktop, tablet or phone.
Now as any self-respecting love guru will tell you, bad relationships are born, fed and nurtured into becoming what they are. Therefore, to fix a bad relationship, you must first look at how you've contributed to the problem, as well as accept responsibility for your actions, intentional or otherwise. So let's assume we've admitted the relationship has problems, and we're ready to explore how to fix it. Here's a couple of solutions for working on your inbox relationship - one human way and one "app" way. As a Valentine's bonus you can read McKinsey's January 2013 report on this topic for some great advice. The report will help take off some fat rather than add it like a box of chocolates.
What I know for sure and so do you, is that however you choose to work on your relationship, the "tool" or "methodology" used is only as good as the person doing the work.
So first, the app solution. Take a look at Mailbox a self-proclaimed "email-as-to-do" app. Before you get too invested in this relationship hoping for that feeling on infatuation, know that it works only for iPhones and gmail. The Mailbox app is an attempt at creating a "euphoric inbox," - their words not mine, and it may be exactly what you've been looking for. It's so popular they take reservations for it on their web site.
The human way is to simply use Outlook better. It's simple; just use Categories for everything you're not going to respond to immediately. I suggest creating categories something like: Response Needed, Read Later, Reference, Archive, Trash and Personal. Of those categories the following can be dispensed with using the Delete or Move-To-Folder functions: Read Later, Reference, Archive and Trash. The next step should you want to follow this human approach is best described in this Outlook Blog. The Outlook solution I just described can be set up in less than an hour and uses tools you already know and love.
Ok, so every relationship fix needs a goal so you'll know what "fixed" looks like. Do you think having zero unattended emails at the end of a business day is realistic or even important for the relationship to be a happy one? Probably not. It's like trying to have a "perfect relationship". Things tend to work best when there's not an expectation of perfect anything, but lots of enjoyment and give and take. Happy Valentine's Day and I hope all your relationships are loving!
Come join our discussion on our blog or I welcome your feedback through email.
