The e-mail monster is a real problem. Talk to most people in corporations today and you will hear a common recurring theme, "I am swamped with e-mail " E-mail overload is considered an inescapable fact in this information, wireless and digital age. Schedules are disrupted. Priorities are changed. The volume of e-mail grows and the stress increases exponentially. In fact workers have come to believe that this is a normal part of work. If you ask office workers what they do, most will begin by saying that they spend too much time processing e-mail. In our years coaching knowledge workers at all levels, one thing has become clear. The need to exploit the promised benefits of the technology has caused workers to forget the process altogether. The process is not e-mail; it is business communication. Even though you are a hard working knowledge worker, our research shows that up to eight hours per week is wasted effort. Following the steps in this book can recover those hours and allow you to focus on what we call value work: projects and tasks that matter most to you and your organization's success. Additionally you will gain the peace of mind that all tasks are under control, you will reduce your stress because you will be less harried, and you will accomplish increased amounts of valued work that results in both a happy boss and happy clients.