In many organizations people are overwhelmed by the amount of messages they receive. If they receive more E-mail than they can possibly handle in a single day, they will begin to ignore messages.

If there is some critical information that you need to pass on to somebody, pick up the telephone or drop by their desk.

Since there is no guarantee that others will read time-sensitive information on time, consider alternate methods. A fax tends to reach the recipient’s desk right away. Pick up the telephone or walk across the hall and talk to people if the matter is urgent. Your message is likely not the only one in their Electronic in-box.

To avoid missed messages, investigate some form of E-mail notification. Is your E- mail system able to page you when new messages arrive?