There is no doubt that ASAP work culture takes a toll on organizations. The permanent focus on incoming messages leads to reactive workdays. Anyone who immediately intercepts and replies to every new message loses control of his actual work. Total fragmentation and decline in the quality of output are an inevitable result. In such a here-and-now culture, the most important tasks are often left behind until the deadline comes into view. The result is hopping from deadline to deadline and then becoming forced to rush through crucial tasks at a fast pace. This is both stressful and mentally taxing.

Ms Teams worsens the ASAP culture…

Of course, the reactive workday was already an issue in Outlook times, but with the arrival of Ms Teams, the number of communication channels has really exploded. Thanks to the post messages, chats, calls, and meeting functionality of Microsoft Teams, our boss is quite literally at our desk all day long. In this digital era, we are with our boss’s boss, all our customers, and our colleagues all day long. The offline reflex to answer a question immediately, however, remains intact.

If you want to tackle this problem, it is best to make clear agreements with your colleagues. How is this done? Messages in digital channels end up in the queue along with my other work. You must find out: “Is it so important and urgent? Or do you want to discuss something? If you need to talk to me, please call me and do not hesitate: +32 485 804 252. Whatever you need from me, please always give me your deadline.” Without making these boundaries clear from the very beginning, you will feel strapped with the oppressive feeling of overdue work.