WEBVTT - 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. 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 1>Of course, you don't always know the answer to an email,

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<v Speaker 1>or you don't have time to deal with it right now.

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<v Speaker 1>That is fine. Even if you can't answer, you can respond.

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<v Speaker 1>Martin suggests several holding responses, such as, Hey, I got

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<v Speaker 1>your request and need to think about it this week.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll let you know next week, or thanks for your email.

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<v Speaker 1>I have time scheduled next Tuesday to work on this,

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<v Speaker 1>so I'll get back to you Wednesday next week. And

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<v Speaker 1>if you really aren't sure, try Hi, this is on

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<v Speaker 1>my radar, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

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<v Speaker 1>If you don't hear from me in the next month

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<v Speaker 1>or so, feel free to follow back up. When you

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<v Speaker 1>send emails like this, you come across as responsive and helpful,

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<v Speaker 1>and most likely people will stop pinging you or trying

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<v Speaker 1>to get time on your calendar. As Martin notes, people

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<v Speaker 1>just want to be heard now. You don't have to

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<v Speaker 1>respond to one hundred percent of your email. I'm sure

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<v Speaker 1>we all get lots of spam, but actual colleagues requesting

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<v Speaker 1>actual things is a different matter. Being responsive even when

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<v Speaker 1>you can't answer, shows that you are a team player

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<v Speaker 1>and will probably save time overall. In the meantime. This

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<v Speaker 1>is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

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<v Speaker 1>most of our text. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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

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<v Speaker 1>does a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to your favorite shows.