I admit - I'm an email hog. It's quick, it's comfortable, it's reliable. But is it the best/only communication channel out there? Definitely not. Maybe new channels of communication are gaining popularity for good reason. Maybe emails will quite down just like my phone that never seems to ring?
After reading "Email is the new pony express - and it's time to put it down" by Ryan Holmes (Fast Company) I thought about how email could be holding me back.
To start, a quick summary of key points from the article:
1. Email has become the unproductivity tool
2. Email is linear, not collaborative
3. Email is not social
4. Your inbox is a black hole
5. Sharing documents on email is a joke
I am currently working on a project with external vendors and will admit that our current approach to project communication is appalling. We can't use the approved corporate social media tool (IBM's eCollaboration) because of third party developers on the team. So we're relying mostly on email discussions.
I'm seeing first-hand how ineffective email threads are when we add in the extra complication of time differences. Some mornings I have to combine multiple emails that are actually the same thread but have had responses from different pieces. We're doing our best to encourage verbal conversations and video conferencing to connect across the globe - but I really do miss the discussion forums available for internal projects.
To start, a quick summary of key points from the article:
1. Email has become the unproductivity tool
2. Email is linear, not collaborative
3. Email is not social
4. Your inbox is a black hole
5. Sharing documents on email is a joke
I am currently working on a project with external vendors and will admit that our current approach to project communication is appalling. We can't use the approved corporate social media tool (IBM's eCollaboration) because of third party developers on the team. So we're relying mostly on email discussions.
I'm seeing first-hand how ineffective email threads are when we add in the extra complication of time differences. Some mornings I have to combine multiple emails that are actually the same thread but have had responses from different pieces. We're doing our best to encourage verbal conversations and video conferencing to connect across the globe - but I really do miss the discussion forums available for internal projects.
I have heard a lot of buzz on email alternatives and am willing to go out of my comfort range to continue exploring social media options. Have you found any secure email alternatives to use within the company? What about alternatives when working with a mixed internal/external project team?
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