Is 2025 Set to Mark the Farewell to Email Usage?
Welcome to the contemporary world. Workplace dynamics are transforming at a breakneck pace, thanks to technological advancements and innovative work practices, making the present era the epitome of future work. It's high time we bid farewell to some outdated workplace practices that we've clung onto tightly. Let's delve into emails. With an array of communication methods available in modern hybrid work settings, emails are losing their relevance and are edging closer to becoming outdated.
The Waning Influence of Emails
Does anyone remember answering voice mails? When the arduous process of listening to and responding to voice mails became too monotonous for the majority, it was gradually phased out, predominantly in favor of text messaging. Some even set up voice mail recordings to inform people that their voice messages would not be listened to later. Simply put, don't waste your time leaving a message that won't be heard.
With the emergence of Microsoft Teams and other collaboration apps, emails are shedding their charm. The sheer volume of emails received is overwhelming. I used to maintain a well-organized inbox, transferring all emails to folders and responding to them within a day or two. But now, it's impossible to keep up, and I'm not alone in this struggle. This situation is a manifestation of work intensification, a term used to describe the increased requirements placed on workers.
Email signatures are now displaying an additional line, requesting for patience or suggesting a reminder after a few days for urgent matters. It's commonplace to send a follow-up message via Microsoft Teams or other collaboration apps, as these platforms tend to prompt more immediate responses than emails. The dependency on a secondary platform indicates that the primary one (email) is no longer effective. Innovative technology is posing a threat to the existence of emails.
Email's AI-Assisted Demise
Generative AI is playing a significant role in the decline of emails. With more people relying on tools like ChatGPT for generating and editing email content, it won't be long before AI is used to draft and reply to emails too. While this may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie at present, the more automated our email communications become, the less value we'll perceive them to hold.
Rather than clinging on for dear life, we could opt for a more gradual and deliberate transition.
Crafting a Strategic Shift from Emails
Organizations can make their internal and external communication preferences clear so that employees understand which medium is most appropriate for various types of communication. Team leaders and supervisors can minimize confusion and uncertainty by clearly stating their communication preferences and, if possible, sticking to a consistent method or platform for the entire team and organization to use.
If emails are losing their effectiveness, what will replace them? Making a decisive and strategic switch without swaying back and forth will save workers from the hassle of learning and mastering multiple platforms and from feeling uncertain about the best way to reach their colleagues and managers.
By 2025, predictions suggest that the future of work may see a significant decline in the use of e-mails, as collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams become more prevalent. This shift towards more immediate communication platforms could lead to a reduction in the reliance on e-mails as the primary means of business correspondence.
As AI-powered tools like ChatGPT gain popularity for drafting and replying to emails, the value perceived in traditional e-mails may further decrease, making it essential for organizations to explore alternative means of communication to enhance efficiency and clarity.
