The typical academic response to complex email threads is to craft a careful – or sometimes, not so careful – replies, which often trigger a chain of clarifying messages that can stretch over days or weeks. But what if the most productive response to an email isn’t another email at all?

The hidden cost of email chains

Think about your last complex email exchange about a research collaboration or curriculum revision. How many messages bounced between you and your colleagues, each one requiring careful consideration of methodology details or assessment criteria? How much time did you spend crafting responses, ensuring your feedback was constructive, and clarifying theoretical frameworks or pedagogical approaches? Now imagine if you’d simply scheduled a quick research meeting or suggested a coffee break instead.

Each email in an academic thread demands significant cognitive effort – switching between different research projects or teaching preparations, mentally reengaging with the theoretical arguments, and carefully composing responses that advance the scholarly discussion. A focused 15-minute conversation can eliminate hours of email back-and-forth about research designs or teaching innovations, while also preventing the misunderstandings that often arise when debating complex academic ideas in writing.

From inbox to in-person

Here’s a counterintuitive approach: when you receive a complicated or ambiguous email, don’t respond to it. Instead, suggest a 15-minute coffee break with the sender. A brief conversation over coffee can accomplish more than a week’s worth of back-and-forth emails. Not only does this approach save time, but it also builds stronger professional relationships and reduces the cognitive overhead of managing multiple email threads.

The transition from email-first to conversation-first communication doesn’t happen overnight. Start small:

• When you receive an email that would require a detailed response, reply with: “This sounds interesting – could we discuss it over coffee? I’m free at [suggest 2-3 specific times].”
• Keep these conversations focused and time-boxed (15-30 minutes maximum).
• Take brief notes during the conversation to capture key points and action items.
• Follow up with a short email summarising decisions and next steps.
• Consider scheduling regular coffee catch-ups with colleagues you frequently email.

Building better academic relationships

This approach isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about reclaiming the human element in academic work. While email provides a valuable record of decisions and commitments, complex discussions often benefit from the nuance and immediate feedback that only face-to-face conversation can provide.

Regular in-person interactions can transform challenging work relationships and make future collaborations smoother. You’ll often find that a brief conversation resolves issues that might have required dozens of emails to clarify.

Of course, in-person meetings aren’t always possible, especially with the rise of remote work and geographically dispersed teams. But the principle remains the same – synchronous communication often beats asynchronous email chains. A quick video call or phone conversation can be just as effective as meeting over coffee. Tools like Teams, Zoom, or even WhatsApp calls provide the immediacy and nuance of face-to-face interaction, while maintaining the flexibility that modern academic work demands. The key is to choose the right communication channel for the complexity of the discussion.

Creating sustainable workflows

At its core, this practice embodies calm productivity. Instead of letting your inbox dictate your workflow, you’re choosing to engage in focused, meaningful interactions that move projects forward while building valuable professional connections. By reducing email volume and increasing face-to-face communication, you create more space for deep work and creative thinking – the activities that truly drive academic success.

Ready to transform your relationship with email? Explore the Email Management course and discover more strategies for creating sustainable, productive communication habits that support your scholarly work.