We’ve previously covered middle managers’ many personal development needs and the deficiencies in company training for these employees. This infographic reveals another problem middle managers face at work: information overload. The Grossman Group’s 2012 Email Perception Study revealed that irrelevant emails cost middle managers some 100 wasted hours annually, which in turn costs their companies over $1 million each year.
If you think about your own email inbox, chances are you’ll have a good idea of the most serious email issues middle managers face. Thirty-four percent of irrelevant emails consisted of back-and-forth replies, while 32 percent contained content that could have been handled more effectively with a face-to-face chat or phone call. Another 29 percent were due to errant “Reply All” emails, while 25 percent copied other recipients unnecessarily. Over one-fourth of irrelevant emails were simply poorly written.
This glut of unimportant email has implications outside the office. Middle managers are 50 percent more likely than other employees to check their work email outside the traditional business day. Due to this, 30 percent report work-life alignment issues, 21 percent experienced increased stress and 29 percent have a real fear of missing essential information.
The full infographic, shown below, offers tips to help free middle managers from information overload. What suggestions would you add?
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(Photo credit: The Grossman Group)
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