Workforces moved from emails to more real-time communication tools like slack hoping to reduce emails. But we tried to fix only the symptom and rarely the cause. Now instead of a large number of emails, we have a large number of unread chats on Slack and Microsoft Teams. The problem remains the same and we continue to miss important messages and files.
The root problem was the volume of communication. It is like how municipalities are trying to fix the problem of garbage through recycling.
Well – why have that volume of either garbage or emails or communication in the first place? Did we ever think about that? Companies try to sound green by adding this in the footer of business communication – “Think before printing this email”.
How about – “Think before sending this email!”
Is every email or chat we send out absolutely necessary? Before asking for information via these platforms, do we check if we already know where to find that information? Before pressing the send button, do we try to think if I could combine a few other related information or asks in this same communication instead of multiplying the chats or messages in the recipient’s inbox?
Just because it is free, we use the platform liberally and many times mindlessly. Even though it is not costing paper or trees, it is causing mental overload! And all the same, problems that existed with emails.
Gupta Goes Greek 
Hello Rajeev!
You make good sense re too much email. We have too much of everything in our consumer culture.
“ Live simply that others may simply live.”
Love, mary