1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: tip is to respond to emails even if you can't 4 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: give an answer yet. People want to know that you 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: have received their messages and will deal with them. Letting 6 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: them know that that is true can ultimately save you time. 7 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: Today's tip, like some others this week, comes from Laura 8 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: May Martin's new book Up Time. She works at Google 9 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: as the company's productivity guru, coaching executives to be more 10 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 1: efficient with their time. In her book, she notes that 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: the frequent productivity advice to check email just a few 12 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: times a day does not really work in a corporate environment. 13 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: Many people's jobs require them to see email more often 14 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: than that. Plus, no one likes collaborating with a person 15 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 1: who doesn't respond to email. Martin says, it's just frustrating, 16 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: and if you are working with someone non responsive, it 17 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: feels like they are putting their desires over the need 18 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: for the team to move along. And more importantly, she 19 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: writes a lot of inefficiencies in email come from people 20 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: checking back in or bumping up an email because they 21 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: haven't heard back from someone If you don't respond to 22 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: an email, it usually ensures you'll get another email now 23 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: If you don't respond to that. Another email is then 24 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: followed by an instant chat to get your attention, which 25 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: turns into a meeting added to your calendar. Probably it 26 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,559 Speaker 1: would be better to answer the email in the first place. 27 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: Of course, you don't always know the answer to an email, 28 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: or you don't have time to deal with it right now. 29 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: That is fine. Even if you can't answer, you can respond. 30 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: Martin suggests several holding responses, such as, Hey, I got 31 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: your request and need to think about it this week. 32 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: I'll let you know next week, or thanks for your email. 33 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: I have time scheduled next Tuesday to work on this, 34 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: so I'll get back to you Wednesday next week. And 35 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: if you really aren't sure, try Hi, this is on 36 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: my radar, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it. 37 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 1: If you don't hear from me in the next month 38 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: or so, feel free to follow back up. When you 39 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: send emails like this, you come across as responsive and helpful, 40 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: and most likely people will stop pinging you or trying 41 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: to get time on your calendar. As Martin notes, people 42 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: just want to be heard now. You don't have to 43 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: respond to one hundred percent of your email. I'm sure 44 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: we all get lots of spam, but actual colleagues requesting 45 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: actual things is a different matter. Being responsive even when 46 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: you can't answer, shows that you are a team player 47 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: and will probably save time overall. In the meantime. This 48 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 49 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: most of our text. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 50 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 51 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 52 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: does a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 53 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 54 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.