A Way Out of Information Overload
“I feel like I am drowning in information overload.”
This seems to be a common lament these days. Whether the information is being delivered by email, social media, online meetings, mainstream news or any other means, information is winging around the world at warp speed.
The result? Many people are feeling as if their brains are about to explode. Which is a wee bit problematic, to say the least.
The challenge, of course, is that information must be disseminated. In a world where protocols are being updated almost by the minute, and everyone wants to be kept in the loop, the only solution is to keep the information flowing. Right?
Maybe. I mean, yes, the information must go out. At the same time, it’s imperative that we all be sensitive to a few factors.
Is this information time-sensitive? And more importantly, does it need to go out NOW? Often, our tendency is to fire off an email or craft a text and send it out, just to get the info out of our own minds. But all that does is offload the info, without consideration for how and when it’s landing on another’s plate. So, if it doesn’t need to go out NOW, ask yourself how you might hold on to it and send it later, especially if you’ve just sent another message recently.
Do you imagine that there will be more information to convey in the near future? While you may not always have the answer to this, it’s one worth asking. And if the answer is yes, learn the art of compiling. I have a client who has a practice of keeping the information that isn’t time-sensitive compiled in one spot, and then at the end of the day sends one “daily update” to her team. This way, her team gets the info -- and, they’re not inundated with a barrage of messages throughout the day. For info that is even less time-sensitive, but still valuable, she has a weekly update. Simple solutions that ensure her team feels valued, cared for and keeps them in the loop.
What is the purpose of this information? Is it purely an FYI? Is it feel-good or inspirational info? Is it a way of venting or issuing a widespread discipline? Whatever your answer, does it need to go out right now, to this person or persons, in this way? Or can it wait? Or can it be delivered in another fashion? Changing up the mode of delivery can be very effective in ensuring that information doesn’t get lost in a flood of similar messaging. It also can be a way of you ensuring that the information is delivered to the RIGHT person, in the right way.
Once these factors have all been considered, then you can determine how and when the information can best be sent out into the world. Trust me, these factors are relevant whether you are in the role of CEO, small business owner, educator, parent, or anything else. Ultimately, it’s about being a little more deliberate in our communication with one another and not just bandying information about as if we’re playing the verbal equivalent of hot potato.
Now, on the flip-side, what do you do when you’re on the RECEIVING end of the information download? How do you handle the never-ending influx of messages from your boss, your team, your family, the news, whatever?
My best suggestion is this: claw back your time. Get really deliberate and intentional about when and how you will receive and respond to messages. Trust me; this is doable. It may not be conventional; and it works.
One of the ways to claw back time is to set specific windows to deal with specific information. It could look like an hour or two each day in which you read and respond to emails. Similarly, you can set windows in which you answer phone calls. In both of these cases, you need to create a message (an email autoresponder or an outgoing voicemail message) to let folks know how you operate. This allows individuals to know when they can expect a response from you; it gives you permission to wait rather than being pavlovian in your response time; and it ensures that you’re not continually dealing with information at the expense of your other responsibilities. The trick to this whole piece is remembering that you teach others how to treat you; if you don’t want to be at the mercy of the email/text/sms alerts, block off your time accordingly. It may take a day or two for folks to get used to your new system; and trust me, they will.
Bottom-line: we all know what it’s like to feel inundated with information. Rather than contribute to the increasing flood of communication blips, let’s all do what we can to alleviate the load, whether by being more conscious of how we deliver information, or how we receive it. When we can ease the information overload, we will feel the generalized overwhelm start to lift. And during this time of pandemic, lifting the collective overwhelm is an objective worth striving for.