Many have come to this same conclusion before me, even in different contexts. But, I now have to agree: email is the most ineffective internal communication tool. Take this with a grain of salt, but all I’m saying is fundamentally true.
1. Email Is Low Priority
If you use company IM, email becomes low priority because all the urgent stuff goes through IM. Low priority means “OK I’ll read this later.” Later means, most probaly, never. As soon as you have time to read it, the message is already obsolete.
2. Email Is a Dump
Ever noticed that when someone does not have time, or want, to take care of something, he writes an email? Well, he/she is actually dumping the problem into your inbox, hoping to get away without effort (please note that we all do this, including me).
3. Email Is Impersonal
With impersonal I don’t mean formal, but not necessarily directed at you. When I open an email, I always wonder, is this specifically for me? Is it just for my information? Is it group communication? Having to decode a lengthy list of recipients does not help. Misuse of TO and CC is… irritating. And we’re all guilty.
4. Email Is Intrinsically Impolite
This has me wondering all the time. When there’s something that needs my attention, but does not necessarily need a reply, is not replying polite? Is replying, thus forcing someone else to read your reply, polite? I really don’t know. Recently I’ve taken the no-reply approach, mostly as a selfish way to save my own time. But perhaps I’m just being impolite and everyone hates me.
All of this not to mention phone calls.