The average office worker is now receiving 36 e-mails a day. Misused and overused, e-mail has been identified by our clients around the world as a leading Productivity Pirate. Many say that it now adds more than two hours to an already crowded schedule.

One study concluded that 45% of e-mails received at the office have no relevance to actual work. Here are three tips to make this one relevant to you!

1. 1. If you are laboring hard to compose an e-mail, it usually suggests that a higher order communication is necessary (i.e. a telephone call or face-to-face meeting)
   
   
2. 2. If your e-mail message is contentious, sleep on it.
   
   
3. 3. Create e-mail guidelines that balance technology and personal contact.