New Year's Resolution: Taming the E-mail Beast

It's that time of year when many of us look ahead and wonder what we can do to make the next year a better one. I woke up yesterday morning to a story on NPR on an issue that business-consulting firm, Basex, terms the "Problem of the Year: Information Overload". Actually, I think this is the Problem of the Millenium. Sometimes I open my e-mail program feeling like a lion tamer at the circus - whip and chair in hand.

While it seems like stating the obvious, that we're all feeling inundated, and often times frustrated, with e-mail, what I didn't realize is how our Pavlovian response to "you've got mail!" diminishes our productivity and efficiency. Apparently to the tune of $650 billion to our national economy in 2006.

But all is not lost. The top two tips I came away with were these:

• Turn any auditory reminder of e-mail off, and try to check it only every hour.
• Use the letters "NRN" in the subject line, indicated "no reply needed," and "NTR" for "no thanks required". I suppose what should be added to that is to resist the urge to send any "me, too" replies to messages. Not that the world needs any more acronyms (just ask anyone working in the aerospace industry), but these two seem like a good idea to me.

In researching this subject a little further, I found an interesting blog called Taming Email, the goal of which is helping you empty your inbox. Imagine that . . . an empty inbox. One can always dream.

So, happy new year, and good luck with those resolutions! Maybe by this time next year I can retire the whip and chair.

The Psychology of Color

Years ago a client came to me asking for a logo, and told me that the logo needed to be inviting and convey warmth. Just as I was picturing a color palette rich in buttery yellow, chocolate brown and maybe brick red, he said, ". . . and my favorite color is blue."

Now, this is one of those times where I have to muster all the diplomacy I can find. Because here is where clients get tangled in a web of personal taste versus speaking a language their intended audience will understand. Yes, your company's image needs to reflect you. You created it, after all. However, if you try to do business in Brazil without speaking Portuguese, you're not going to get very far.

The psychology of color is all about conveying your message to your desired audience, which means you need to speak their language - literally and figuratively. Sometimes this means putting personal preference aside. I know, I know, it's a hard thing to do. Color is a very emotional thing, and we all get very attached to our own associations with various colors. If you grew up in Washington State, green might symbolize the great outdoors and wonderful memories of camping as a kid. But if you grew up in Southeast Asia, green might symbolize death. You can see how lack of understanding might set your business back, like it did for an airline company back in the 1970s that painted a fleet of airplanes green that flew to Southeast Asia.

Leatrice Eiseman is highly regarded as the queen of color and consultant to the Pantone Institute, the folks who make the notebooks full of little, tiny color swatches with rather large pricetags that graphic designers live by. I once attended a workshop she gave on color forecasting, and was fascinated and impressed by the breadth of knowledge she brings to the task. Not only does she take into account the psychology of color, but of history and how we humans respond to various world events; our need for comfort, or our tolerance for risk and change.

For further reading, there's a great Wiki page about the psychology of color. And, in the words of Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy being green."

A Quickie Doodle

I don't know about you, but if I never have to schedule another meeting via e-mail again, I'd be one happy camper. You know the routine: someone sends out a meeting request, someone replies with the one hour they have available in the next six months, someone else responds with a question and no time suggestions, and you end up spending way more time than is reasonable trying to herd the cats.

But one fine day, I got an e-mail from someone asking me to take part in a Doodle poll. Wow! The simplicity of it! The ease of use! With one click, I found myself on a website with days and times, and a place just for me. All I had to do was type in my name and click on my available times, and that was it. I could see who else had been there and what times they were available. So easy, and so wonderfully time-saving. And even better, you don't need to log in to use it.

Created by Michael Näf at the University of Zurich, this cool tool also works well for potlucks, gathering opinions about what movie to see, and anything else that might take a whirlwind of e-mails and cause a whole lotta' frustration.

So, are we still on for tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.?