Use the phone, not email

Like most entrepreneurs, I have a love/hate relationship with email.

I love staying close to my business. I love getting reports about how various parts of the business are performing.

But I hate the distraction of email. I hate how easy it is for someone to share their every thought.

And most of all, I hate people who use email to get out of having real, meaningful, helpful conversations.

I know there are good reasons for this. Some people like to put things “in writing” and have a permanent record of their thoughts, as though they will be able to use this as proof of how smart they were to do or not do something.

But those people need to be told that running a business isn’t about arse-covering. It’s about great communication, and I don’t think great communication happens over email.

So here’s my new rule. I won’t let anyone reply to an email more than twice. They can send two responses, but after that they need to pick up the phone or go and see the recipient in person.

If it is a group email, you should call after two replies and hash the issue out in a proper meeting.

New year, new rules!

Get it done – today!