Swimming Against the Current

the insurmountable task of changing the corporate email culture

Eran YarivMicrosoft R&D Center, Israel

About me

• I’m a software engineer• A Microsoft long-timer (16+ years, multiple sites)• An engineering manager for a large group• Shipping products to customers is my passion & job

description• Effectivity is my passion & evangelism duty

About Microsoft

• 128K employees worldwide• Been around for a while• Redmond-centric• Very email-heavy• >120 new daily emails in the inbox• ~20% is machine-generated email

Microsoft is also part of the problem

Effective Outlook talks

• Started over a decade ago• Personal and selfish agenda• Do your work better• Become an effective communicator • Stop nagging me – let me focus

• A combination of frontal presentation and a workshop

What I attempt to teachWith very concrete hands on techniques

• Absolute zero items in your Inbox by the end of each work day• You can send 100’s of e-mail messages a day to

different people and with different due dates and still track responses and open issues• Get rid of multiple mail folders, sticky notes and voice

messages and get all items handled in one place• Get rid of that cloud in the back of your mind and obtain clarity of thought on what needs to be done and when

Disclaimers

• Most of the techniques are taken from an eclectic collection of workshops and online training, with my own twist• This works for me – it might not work for you• Takes practice and time to get it right• It’s not my profession – I’m a software engineer

2 Mantras

• You are not paid to send and receive email• It’s merely a mean to an end • Don’t let it control you

• E-mail is not an instant messaging platform• Align expectations• Use it wisely• Consider alternatives

Results so far

• ~2,500 people participated so far• Very positive feedback• “Best soft-skill training”• “Changed my life”• “Liberating”

• Does not move the needle• Email volume is rising• Culture shift did not happen – email is still used as an

interruptive online discussion system

• It still works for me