Love your neighbour as yourself - with email

„Love your neighbour as yourself!“ The bar is clear. Someone has said how we should live. And I try to follow it. Concretely. Practically. In everyday life. And thoughtfully. Not just soft, whispery feelings. But in a way that resonates. For others. And for myself. This „like yourself“ is also in there. And expects attention.

What does that mean in front of my computer? For dealing with emails? For me, loving your neighbour means first of all applying some of the principles for clear, efficient communication to emails:

• Focus: Write the OBJECTIVES in the subject line: what is the purpose of this email? Clarify appointment, develop design, make arrangements.
• Short and sweet: As long as necessary, but as short as possible.
• Sure: Clearly communicate the request or expectation you have of the other person.
• Formulate expectations: To clearly state the requests and expectations I have of the other person.
• Friendly write.

So much in a nutshell. I can teach you more about relaxed working and efficient communication with my colleague Christoph Schalk in our SAM online course: Mastering your work 

But that's not the end of it. How much time and space do I give it, I ask myself. What is love here?  „Emails are to-do lists that others write for you!“ says coach Christine Carter. My inbox proves her right: someone wants an invoice issued, someone else wants information about a test, a third person wants detailed information about... Some people just want to pass on a friendly word. Also nice.

I fall into the trap. My good intention was: Love myself first, do my tasks before I take care of the concerns of others. Just like in an aeroplane: „Put the mask on first before you help someone else!“ But I'm not in an emergency situation. It's just a normal Monday. Although sometimes it feels similar.

I fall into the trap. After my writing time in the morning - that still worked - „Just a quick check to see what's in the inbox!“ And don't get out until three hours later. Too late to call the offices I really wanted to reach today.

That was stupid. I knew better and did worse.

I even suspect that I could have written the emails in a more relaxed, focussed and clearer way if I had completed the tasks that were important to me for the day first and they hadn't been breathing down my neck.

But, as Scarlet O'Hara said: „Tomorrow is another day!“

Tomorrow - that was the plan - I'm going to do a bit better at taking good care of what's important to me and what others need.