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Your Email Does Not Constitute My Emergency
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Your Email Does Not Constitute My Emergency

Adam Grant
The New York Times, 2023
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Eloquent
  • Engaging

Recommendation

“Sorry for the delay…” has become a standard email opener in business culture. But are these apologies justified? In this eloquent op-ed, organizational psychologist Adam Grant explores the value of setting boundaries regarding your relationship with your inbox. After all, Grant notes, most emails aren’t genuinely urgent, and even if they were, he argues, a less-than-speedy reply should not automatically spark feelings of guilt. To avoid the burnout endemic in today’s “always on” work culture, people need to start valuing the quality of a reply more than its speed.

Take-Aways

  • In today’s “always on” work culture, people feel guilty when they don’t immediately reply to emails.
  • Pressure to reply speedily contributes to burnout and reinforces unfair gender norms.
  • Stop apologizing for not replying quickly, and make it clear how urgently you need a response when you send messages.

About the Author

Adam Grant is a contributing Opinion writer for The New York Times. He is an organizational psychologist at Wharton, the author of the book Think Again and the host of the TED podcast Re:Thinking.

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