I have just read a response to the French law, that came into force on 1st January, that gives employees of companies over 50 staff the right to “disconnect” – companies are now legally bound to establish hours where employees do not send or receive emails. Sounds interesting but of course it won’t work. The people that will eventually be promoted will be those that keep in touch, build a strong network and do homework i.e. those that do not “disconnect!” Results from a survey carried out by Bain & Co. in the U.S. late last year bring this into focus:
-
Senior executives now receive 200 or more emails a day
-
The average frontline supervisor devotes about eight hours each week — a full business day — to sending, reading and answering e-communications
-
Of the eight hours managers devote to e-communications each week, it was estimated that 25% of that time is consumed reading emails that should not have been sent to that particular manager and 25% is spent responding to emails that the manager should never have answered
-
So the average front line manager in the U.S. (and we can relate this data to NZ) is spending half a day a week on useless e-communications
So the insight? Reflect on your own e-communications. Get that half day back! Be well, stay focused and Happy New Year
Cheers
Phil Pickford
