Are you sinking in email quicksand

If you’re of a certain vintage, you may recall classic films, particularly westerns, where quicksand featured. Often, after an exhausting chase, the villain would usually race into an innocuous patch of damp sand and begin to sink.

Presented as karma, the villain (or sometimes the hero) would struggle for life until the film director decided whether to let them sink or be rescued.

At Raildiary, a SaaS rail sector company based in Manchester, we don’t see quicksand in the city centre. We don’t get feedback from Contractors either about it appearing on railway projects.

But you and us have digital quicksand that engulfs us daily.

Emails.

Did you know that record numbers of emails were sent globally last year? 294 billion sent and received. That’s 149,513 emails sent each minute.

Staggering figures we think.

There’s no reason to doubt the maxim that data is the new oil, when numbers like this are calculated.

We’re in a 24/7 digital world.

Amazon and the like have ramped up expectations that if we want something as consumers, we demand it immediately. Smart devices like speakers, home hubs and smartphones listen to what we say. Social media channels have an unerring knack of showing us promotions for things we’ve talked about or searched.

Data is like quicksand, Source: iStock

Service and product providers vie for our data, wanting phone numbers and email addresses to use for targetted marketing.

We are no different to you at Raildiary.

Our team’s inboxes are filled daily with communication missives. You and we learn how to apply a human spam filter almost without thinking by deleting or unsubscribing from unwanted advances.

Emails are an incredibly powerful communication tool. You can convey information and images in seconds and receive a reply promptly.

We’d be lost without emails.

But have they become your company’s quicksand?

We are genuinely surprised that emails have largely remained unchanged from days of yore. Admittedly, 20 years ago, you picked a MSN, Hotmail or Gmail account and ones in company names were a relatively rare sight.

Emails come in thick and fast every day and if you’re working in the rail industry across the world, you’ll be no exception.

But what if there’s a better way? What if there’s a way of not only avoiding email overload but making your communications simpler?

We give you the Raildiary platform.

To book a demo, click the link, pick a time and leave your name, phone number and email address (dip your toe in the quicksand) and let our team pull you from that email quagmire.

In summary, managing email requires a combination of strategies, including setting boundaries and expectations, prioritizing emails, using filters and labels, and delegating tasks. Raildiary's approach to email management, including their focus on delegation, automation, and work-life balance, is a great example for others to follow. By adopting these strategies, individuals and teams can avoid sinking in email quicksand and achieve greater productivity and well-being in the workplace.