Practical tips for effective email behaviour.

1. 5 Pract ical Tips for Effect ive Email
Behaviour
1 A ZERO EMAIL AMBITION – TRANSFORMING THE WORLD OF WORK www.atosorigin.com

2. 1 Newton's Third Law of Physics also applies to email: for every email you
send, there is a reaction. Reply, forward, etc. In practice, this translates to
the principle: the more email you send, the more you will receive
ACTION = REACTION
2 A ZERO EMAIL AMBITION – TRANSFORMING THE WORLD OF WORK www.atosorigin.com

3. 2
An email addressed to you will patiently wait until you decide to look and
act. There is no need for email ‘notifiers’, no need to check your email
every five minutes. No one but yourself is forcing you to do that. Open
your email only a couple of times a day, and then actively process it.
EMAIL IS PATIENT, ARE YOU?
3 A ZERO EMAIL AMBITION – TRANSFORMING THE WORLD OF WORK www.atosorigin.com

4. 3 Although email has become the main communication platform of today
(yes, it still is), it is not the best platform to serve all communication and
collaboration needs. Other, better alternatives exist to serve various kinds
of interaction.
EMAIL ≠ A TOOL FOR ALL NEEDS
4 A ZERO EMAIL AMBITION – TRANSFORMING THE WORLD OF WORK www.atosorigin.com

5. 4 When you read an email immediately decide what to do with the message:
Do it (if it takes 2 minutes or less), Delete it, Delegate it, File it, or put it on
your to-do list or calendar as a task for later.
READ EVERY EMAIL ONLY ONCE
5 A ZERO EMAIL AMBITION – TRANSFORMING THE WORLD OF WORK www.atosorigin.com

6. 5 Configure your email program to open with your calendar in stead of your
inbox. This way you will not be tempted to dive in to your email straight
away, but you will be allowed to (mentally) prepare for the day ahead.
START THE DAY WITHOUT EMAIL
6 A ZERO EMAIL AMBITION – TRANSFORMING THE WORLD OF WORK www.atosorigin.com