by Lisa Bodell for Forbes
The last two years ushered in major disruptions to the workplace, and 2022 is already looking like another rollercoaster ride around the sun. With work-life balance cited as a top concern for employees and leaders in a recent WorkPlace Intelligent study, it’s essential to keep a vigilant eye toward your time and tasks.
As a workplace simplification expert and author, I focus on removing complexity from every step of my clients’ processes and workflows. But on the eve of every new year, I set aside time to walk the walk by identifying new ways to stop the creep of complexity in my own work life. Below are five simplification intentions for 2022; if any of them align with your goals, feel free to borrow or customize accordingly.
1. Put your inbox on a diet. I’ve worked with organizations where employees receive more than 200 internal emails a day, and in those situations, I recommend extreme measures. Starting with yourself, limit sending or replying to a maximum of 30 emails per day. Once that quota is met, your inbox is closed for the day. Consider adding a line to your e-signature that informs recipients of your new approach to email: “In an attempt to accomplish measurable work, I reply to only 30 emails daily. Thank you for understanding!” When a few influencers in an org are willing to publicly change their inbox behavior, it can change hearts, minds and email habits across an entire company.