WEBVTT - Second Cup: Respond even if you can't answer

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to respond to emails even if you can't

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<v Speaker 1>give an answer yet.

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<v Speaker 2>People want to know that you.

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<v Speaker 1>Have received their messages and will deal with them. Letting

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<v Speaker 1>them know that that is true can ultimately save you time.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip, like some others this week, comes from Laura

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<v Speaker 1>May Martin's new book Up Time. She works at Google

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<v Speaker 1>as the company's productivity guru, coaching executives to be more

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<v Speaker 1>efficient with their time. In her book, she notes that

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<v Speaker 1>the frequent productivity advice to check email just a few

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<v Speaker 1>times a day does not really work in a corporate environment.

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<v Speaker 1>Many people's jobs require them to see email more often

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<v Speaker 1>than that. Plus, no one likes collaborating with a person

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<v Speaker 1>who doesn't respond to email. Martin says, it's just frustrating,

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<v Speaker 1>and if you are working with someone non responsive, it

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<v Speaker 1>feels like they are putting their desires over the need

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<v Speaker 1>for the team to move along. And more importantly, she

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<v Speaker 1>writes a lot of inefficiencies in email come from people

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<v Speaker 1>checking back in or bumping up an email because they

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<v Speaker 1>haven't heard back from someone If you don't respond to

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<v Speaker 1>an email, it usually ensures you'll get another email now

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<v Speaker 1>If you don't respond to that. Another email is then

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<v Speaker 1>followed by an instant chat to get your attention, which

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<v Speaker 1>turns into a meeting added to your calendar. Probably it

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<v Speaker 1>would be better to answer the email in the first place.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, you.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't always know the answer to an email, or you

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<v Speaker 1>don't have time to deal.

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<v Speaker 2>With it right now. That is fine. Even if you

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<v Speaker 2>can't answer, you can respond. Martin suggests several holding responses,

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<v Speaker 2>such as, Hey, I got your request and need to

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<v Speaker 2>think about it this week. I'll let you know next week,

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<v Speaker 2>or thanks for your email. I have time scheduled next

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<v Speaker 2>Tuesday to work on this, so I'll get back to

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<v Speaker 2>you Wednesday next week. And if you really aren't sure,

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<v Speaker 2>try Hi, this is on my radar, but I'm not

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<v Speaker 2>sure when I'll get to it. If you don't hear

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<v Speaker 2>from me in the next month or so, feel free

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<v Speaker 2>to follow back up. When you send emails like this,

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<v Speaker 2>you come across as responsive and helpful, and most likely

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<v Speaker 2>people will stop pinging you or trying to get time

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<v Speaker 2>on your calendar. As Martin notes, people just want to

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<v Speaker 2>be heard now. You don't have to respond to one

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<v Speaker 2>hundred percent of your email. I'm sure we all get

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<v Speaker 2>lots of spam, but actual colleagues requesting actual things is

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<v Speaker 2>a different matter. Being responsive even when you can't answer,

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<v Speaker 2>shows that you are a team player and will probably

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<v Speaker 2>save time overall. In the meantime. This is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our text. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've

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<v Speaker 1>got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at

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<v Speaker 1>Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit

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<v Speaker 1>the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite shows.