Taming the Email Tyrant in Our Web 2.0 World

There is no question that we spend too much time writing and answering email. There are now at least three specific psychiatric disorders associated with “emailing”, as well as at least two organic or physiologic disorders. The next best “avoider” other than voice mail, we have not only been taken by surprise by its apparent ease of usage, we have used it to further avoid voice or eye contact with our co-workers, managers, employees, and even our families. This has been permitted all in the name of “saving time” (something that can't be saved). Moreover, email is not foolproof yet we trust it the way we unthinkingly trust a light switch. Dr. Lauren suggests ways for organizations to use email and other digital technology in a more sensible and time-efficient way, and encourages a return to a genre of meeting that includes feedback on projects, discussions about client issues, and comments by managers about strengths and weaknesses – all in the spirit that everyone is there to contribute to the whole. Email can, at times, deplete mutually shared energy and connections among people. It must be put in its place.