Many people believe that email is the scourge of our modern life and there is some truth to this but I do not believe that for many of us; especially of those in the middle management layers that this is the real scourge.
The real scourge is Online Diaries; generally Outlook but all are evil.
When I started my career all those years ago; I had part share in secretary who managed my diary, if you wanted to book a meeting with me, you would generally ask Audrey who would check that I was free and would apply common sense.
1) She would not accept a meeting booking when I was on leave.
2) She would not accept a meeting booking when I was already booked.
3) She would not accept a back-to-back meeting booking, especially in different buildings and would always make sure that I had time to get from one meeting to another.
4) She would generally ensure that I actually had time for a break and time to do some work during the day.
Unfortunately these days; even staff at my ‘exalted level’ do not warrant a secretary or PA and my diary is on line for all to see and so people feel happy to
1) Book meetings when I am on leave
2) Book meetings when I am already attending another meeting; I have an example this week when I am in six meetings simultaneously allegedly.
3)Book me solid for a whole day with no time eat, breath or think and seem to expect me to be able to teleport across campus.
4)Leave me no time to do any work
In fact meetings have proliferated to the extent that they are meaningless. Online diaries have made it easy to invite a cast of thousands; book even more meetings, book meetings at the last minute and generally destroy the working day of many.
Meetings are now badly run with no agenda, no minutes and often over-run causing even more running about the campus. There are now so many meetings, that most places have a shortage of meeting rooms and hence meetings are now run in rest areas, canteens and anywhere else that can be found.
So it is not email that is the scourges; it is the modern meeting which is the true time-soak and scourge of many.