How to avoid long e-mail threads

We've all been there before. A discussion is started or a question asked and you're either on the "To:" list or the "CC:" list. Somewhere along the way, 5 or 10 replies deep, you realize there has been no solution, no decision, no end in sight. Apart from the frustration of not reaching a conclusion, you should ask yourself when is it time for written communications to transition into verbal.

I generally use the rule of 3; An e-mail volley tossed back and forth 3 times indicates this topic will not be concluded as it should. It's easy to see why. A question is asked, someone responds with an answer which spawns another question resulting in further clarifications. And very quickly the thread spirals. At this point, a simple statement is needed asking for a face to face discussion (or via phone if appropriate) in order to finalize the topic. A 10 minute group discussion can resolve most of these situations avoiding unnecessary e-mail traffic and burden.

With the number of mails crossing my inbox on a daily basis, I look for any opportunity to reduce the volume. Of course, the most obvious benefit to halting a lengthy email thread is efficiency and productivity.

So next time, try the rule of 3 when you are involved in a lengthy e-mail discussion.

\Mike