Irritated by your inbox? Try this hack...

I read recently about a woman who was fed up with getting frustrated and angry on her commute.

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So she decided to change her thinking whenever she was stuck behind a slow driver.

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Instead of cursing her bad luck, she’d imagine the driver in front had an enormous, exquisitely decorated birthday cake on the back seat of their car. ?

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They were driving slowly because they wanted it to arrive safely for their Grandma’s 90th birthday celebration that afternoon.

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Aaah.

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By assuming the best intentions, all the woman’s anger and frustration melted away.

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And we can do the same with our email.

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Because, let’s face it, email can often drive us crazy. ?(Studies show our heart rate and blood pressure increase when we’re in our inboxes).

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But by thinking the best of people, we can not only lower our stress, we can also often get better results. ?

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Because an email is just a snapshot, not the full story. ?We rarely have enough information to make a full judgment.

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Our sender might be having a terrible day. ?They might have English as a second language. ?Be trying to manage pressure from above. ?Or just think differently from us.

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So if we’ve been sent an email that feels passive-aggressive or rude, let’s:

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• Assume the sender’s best intentions
• Ask clarifying questions by email, or even better, by phone?
• Get a second, objective, opinion?

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We’re much more likely to get to a calmer, more constructive conclusion faster than if we’d fired off an emotional reply.

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As the saying goes, people will like us if we like them first. ?So let’s try it.

I'm a marketing and brand consultant and communication coach. To get your business off that comfy old couch and out there winning business, visit kimarnold.co.uk or drop me a line at kim@kimarnold.co.uk.

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