Emailless Fridays have been around for a while. A phenomenon that blew over from the US. There the detrimental effect of too many emails on the productivity of employees has been known for a while. In Belgium Emailless Friday is up to its tenth edition as well. And VUB also partakes in the practice.
My inbox is full: keynote by Luc Chalmet,
And the participation will not be gratuitous. Luc Chalmet will hold a keynote at VUB on email overload and how to counter it on November 24th. The emeritus professor of Ghent University and University of Antwerp is above all an expert in âleanâ methods: a way of thinking and acting to teach organisations to minimise all kinds of waste. But he very quickly realised that even in companies doused in the lean culture the amount of emails erased any made efficiency gains. Eventually he wrote a book on the subject: âMijn inbox is volâ (My inbox is full). It is full of tips and facts on how to better communicate via email and it advocates the creation of an email policy in order to - among other things - reduce the stress that large quantities of emails cause and thus contribute to the general well-being of all employees.
More well-being through fewer emails
It is a message that did not land on deaf ears with VUB rector Caroline Pauwels. Since her appointment as rector she has consistently put the well-being of students and staff first as one of her priorities. That the university now rolls out an email policy cannot be seen as a surprise in that light.
Through widespread consultation
The new email policy can be downloaded on VUBâs website. For those with too little time to read it fully, there even is a convenient summary: the most important elements of both the policy itself and the manual have been listed. As was done with proper email etiquette.
An ongoing campaign
But it doesnât stop there: the tips will also be turned into illustrated posters, that will be spread around all VUB campuses regularly. This way staff and students will continue to be reminded of the importance of good email communication. And also at possible debates on the topic the existence of the email policy will be mentioned. All posters will present a QR code, that upon scanning with a smartphone will refer to the internet page of the email policy.
Free book for the first 100 attendees to Chalmetâs keynote presentation
In honour of the launch of its new email policy, VUB will give away 100 free copies of âMijn inbox is volâ. If you are one of the first one hundred people to register for the keynote presentation of Chalmet in auditorium QD on Emailless Friday (November 24th), you are a winner. For those who cannot attend, a livestream will be provided that can be found here.