Internet host OVH was hit by a power outage that shook more than one business leader. A technical problem that had a global impact due to a power supply problem. Result ? A large number of websites have been made inaccessible and emails are no longer working. Email is one of the most popular means of communication for modern businesses. Here are seven ways to move on when you don’t have access to it.
1- Organize a meeting
Your mailbox is out of service? Unable to re-establish communication and have to wait for hours? Why not organize a meeting? A great way to get your teams together and set goals for the day or week. During the latter, reassure your employees by explaining the situation and the time it will take. Arranging this meeting is one way to solve business problems when you don’t usually spend enough time on it. They are available and won’t be able to pretend they are too busy with their email or their work!
2- Communicate differently
Email isn’t the only way to communicate with your employees internally. Online social networks make it possible for you and your colleagues to have instant discussions. For example, collaborative communication platform Slack works like chat to transmit your information and receive it. It also allows for file sharing within conversations and integrates external services like GitHub, Dropbox, Google Drive to make it easier for you to track and manage your projects. An alternative way to mailbox and effective. The system saves all your messages and the robot responds to some of your requests.
3- Share the moment of happiness
You and your team have spent your morning without finding the source of the problem. It’s time to take a break. Take this opportunity to invite your employees to the restaurant. A moment of joy that will strengthen your team bonds and defuse the tension caused by this technical problem. Can this restaurant take a long time? No problem. You will have to wait for the return of your email, as long as it is done in a warm setting. A small incident that has the quality to break your routine.
4- Manage your work differently
Some of your actions do not require the use of your email. By spending your day in this type of work, you will not be able to accumulate a lot of workload. Writing your report, your accounting, researching marketing ideas and more can all be achieved without using your email. Also consider thinking long term for the future of your business. A working time is often overlooked but which proves beneficial to the stability of the company.
5- relax
If your activity and the activities of your employees cannot be carried out without access to your email, for exceptional reasons, give your employees a day off to rest. This unexpected, will do their greatest good and allow them to restart in an even more productive way. If the problem is only going to last for one morning, offer your employees other activities, such as sports or games, if the necessary equipment is already available on your premises. If this phenomenon represents a waste of time for you, it may also allow you to recharge the battery or tighten the shackles through various activities.
6- Follow the example of these companies limiting email
Emails represent a toxic threat to some companies, which have taken the lead in deciding to limit their use. This is the case with Priceminister, an online buying and selling site where employees must ban the use of email every Friday morning. A way to fight the stress caused by them. “We are often cut off from email with the temptation to respond immediately, thinking it’s a source of stress that we’ll have to wait until noon to respond. Yet when we don’t respond immediately, we tend to see French digital services company Atos, meanwhile, wants to implement a more radical solution by permanently removing its employees from the way they work, explains Alexia Lefeuvre, communications officer for Priceminister at FranceInter. CEO Thierry Breton estimates that emails represent a loss of 10 to 20 hours per week for each employee (sorting, consulting, feedback)
7- Create an emergency address
Consider creating a second email address to not only deal with this type of problem but also to avoid hacks. The internet is full of people with bad intentions who can use your account for personal gain. Don’t let this situation develop if you have an emergency e-mail address that will allow you to recover access to your account. If a computer bug affects one of your mailboxes, it is possible to use another. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, La Poste offer you another email address with complete security.