Enough with the Late-Night Emails Already

If it’s 11 PM and you’ve just remembered something your team needs to do tomorrow, it might seem like a good idea to send them an email while you’re thinking about it. Well, it’s not. If you’re emailing late at night or on weekends, most employees think a late-night response is required – or that they’ll impress you if they respond immediately. Making them be “always on” hurts results. A frantic environment that includes answering emails at all hours doesn’t make your staff more productive. It just makes them busy and distracted. When they’re constantly monitoring their email after work, they are missing out on the essential downtime their brains need. Creativity, inspiration, and motivation are depletable resources that need to be recharged. So refrain from after-hours communication and be clear about expectations. Set up policies to support a healthy culture that values downtime.
*Source: Adapted from Harvard Business Review’s Management Tip of the Day