Pause ...before responding.
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By R.David Silva
Today most of our lives are affected by emails and there is a great tendency to want to respond almost immediately. This is partly due to the nature of emails (quick, timely and easy to reply to). And then there's the old adage about time is money. Add it all up and we hit the reply button and type away.
For business emails that are confirming dates or facts, a quick response is appropriate. But for e-mails that ask questions about strategy or tactics or objectives, reflective thought is usually more valuable than an instant response. Sort out your thinking ahead of time, whether this takes an hour, an afternoon, overnight or several days. Organize your response clearly and present it with conviction. In many cases, if not most cases, the delay to e-mailer who questioned you will probably add to perceived importance of your response. An added benefit to a delayed but well thought out response could be a truncating of the email chain, allowing you more time to handle your other responsibilities.
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 R. David SilvaBusiness Editor25+ years experience
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