The short answer is, I don't stay productive. I'm in overwhelmed with all the tools, no amount of auditing/sorting/consolidating helps. I stop, put the phone down/close the laptop and go for a walk or read a book in print. Once I have energy back, I tackle on tool at a time (Delete is my favorite key).

I'm not sure if this article is for an internal comms manager or the employee consuming the content shared by the internal comms team? Be good to make it clearer in the future. I'll address this from the point of view of an employee consuming content from the internal comms team. 5 tips: 1. Understand which tool is used to communicate what. 2. Unsubscribe to groups you don't need to be in. 3. Say no to invitation to teams groups where you don't see yourself adding any value. 4. Block focus time for important tasks and do them in your most productive hours. 5. Give feedback to your internal comms team if you feel the digital noise has reached a record high. Good luck!

We often add tools as we find new approaches and technologies but fail to edit the ones we no longer use. Audit the ones your teams needs the most by conducting a pulse survey. Then establish which channels are for which type of communication, finally ensure you have communications guidelines to know what and when to communicate, and when something does not rise to the level of communication to avoid over communication which leads to lower engagement.

To stay afloat amid digital communication overload, prioritize tools that best support your goals and streamline communication. Establish clear boundaries on tool use (e.g., checking certain apps only during set hours) and focus on centralizing notifications to avoid constant interruptions. Regularly review and consolidate tools, keeping only those that enhance productivity and foster collaboration. The key is to establish systems and ensure that everyone is aligned on using the same tools and teams are integrated rather than isolated by using their preferred set of tools.

To stay productive amid a flood of digital tools, streamline usage by defining each tool's purpose and setting boundaries. For instance, I use email for formal updates & Slack for quick chats. I also limit notifications and batch-check messages at set times to avoid constant distractions. By consolidating team communications in one central hub, I reduce redundancy and stay focused. Regularly auditing tools to ensure they’re still effective and eliminating redundant ones helps keep communication clear and manageable, allowing more time for meaningful work.