We all do it! It’s 7 pm, you finally have that great idea that could help you solve that lingering problem at work or you have some queries about a transaction that has been weighing in your mind… or you remember the e-mail you promised to send earlier but forgot and…BAM! You are on your computer, typing away and sending e-mails to colleagues, bosses and sometimes even stakeholders. While it is tempting to assume that time is inconsequential when it comes to doing things online, several time-related decorum should actually still apply.
Ultimately, unless an email is essentially urgent, you may want to hold on till the next day. Read on to discover Jumia Travel’s 5 reasons against sending professional e-mails late at night.
It shows poor management skills
Sending e-mails late at night, for one, shows poor management skills as it suggests lack of planning and inability to manage time. If you had planned your time properly and were mindful of your tasks, chances are you would send in the e-mail at the right time which is between 9-5 (work hours). Again- in the case of emergency- being able to handle a situation, without necessarily alarming the rest of the team late at night, would earn you a mark for taking initiative and present you as someone with good management skills.
It will hurt team productivity
Sending emails late at night, when you as well as your colleagues should be sleeping may seem like a studious thing to do, but it might wind up backfiring on team efficiency. Basically, if you or your team is not sleeping when you should, you are not getting top performance as you would be creating productivity problems that you might not even realize you are helping to create. The time for chills and sleep should be left for that purpose to ensure a balance.
There is a high chance of miscommunication
Late-night communication, prompted by a sense of urgency, usually always wind up creating miscommunication – or responses and solutions without full information behind them. It is late at night, you are half drowsy and not in your best mode. You will definitely overlook major typos, even make grammatical blunders that will ensure your e-mail is incoherent or worse, end up sending the email to the wrong recipient. To save yourself the drama and misfortune of appearing unprofessional and sloppy, you may want to wait and send the email in the morning when you are alert.
Raises doubts about your personality
What kind of person feels they can just send an e-mail at any time they deem convenient? Yes. Someone will probably ask the question. Sending e-mails at odd hours, especially late at night would certain raise doubts about your personality as it may suggest you are someone who has high disregard for procedures or routines, present you as a workaholic whose life is lonely or even worse, paint you as a slave-driver boss who has no regard for the 9-5 time limit. It is important to learn to let go of work and switch out of work mode when you are at home.
The e-mail will most likely remain unread until the next day
Despite your best efforts, the email you labored to send last minute of the day may end up in the unread folder of the recipient by the next morning. Most people just tune out of their work life once they are home and fail to access work e-mails or accept work calls. If you have people with this mentality on your team, chances are you are fighting a lost battle, sending e-mails after work hours
