{"id":12459,"date":"2023-07-18T00:00:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/?p=12459"},"modified":"2026-02-18T09:22:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T00:22:47","slug":"how-fast-should-you-reply-to-work-chat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/how-fast-should-you-reply-to-work-chat\/","title":{"rendered":"How Fast Should You Reply To Work Chat?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh this is hilarious!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I just sat down to write about work distractions and a Facebook Messenger notification popped up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And I checked it &#8211; lol!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How easily are you distracted by work chat and other instant messaging?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you sometimes frustrated by interruptions, but simultaneously compelled to reply immediately?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on to discover<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How work interruptions cost you more than just your time to respond\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 tips to clarify expectations with colleagues about your responsiveness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 tips to improve your focus at work<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This topic of interruptions, especially from work chat, came up in a recent group call in the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/go.sasugacommunications.com\/wise\"><u>Sasuga! VIP Women\u2019s Coaching<\/u><\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the participants &#8211; a Japanese HR professional in a global corporation &#8211; shared how she\u2019s been experimenting with the concept of less effort and more impact. Let\u2019s call her Maiko.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maiko was using the Pomodoro Technique to make it easier to focus and produce better quality work. During this time, she didn\u2019t respond to her work chat for one hour.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not familiar with this popular productivity hack, here\u2019s a quick introduction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Pomodoro Technique<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPomodoro\u201d means \u201ctomato\u201d in Italian. This technique is apparently called the Pomodoro Technique because the person who invented it used a timer shaped like a tomato. But of course you can use the timer on your smartphone with the following steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decide your task<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set the timer for 25 minutes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus on your task (ignore everything else)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">STOP when the timer goes off<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set the timer for a 5-minute break<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repeat (and take a longer break after you\u2019ve done several of these)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, Maiko was concerned that not responding immediately to work chat might impact her credibility with her colleagues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It turned out that wasn\u2019t a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She did, however, notice an increase in emails! Since she wasn\u2019t responding to the chat, her colleagues pursued a different form of communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From this experience, Maiko realized the importance of communicating with her colleagues up front and setting expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another participant on our call said that she had initially been worried about not responding immediately too\u2026 What would people think? How might it slow down other people\u2019s work?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But then her colleague said to her:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf it\u2019s not urgent, I use email. If it\u2019s something quick, I use chat, but I don\u2019t expect an immediate response. If it\u2019s urgent, I\u2019ll come to you in person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When people message you, most likely it\u2019s because it\u2019s quick and convenient for them. It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean to say that you need to respond immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Distraction costs more than your time to respond\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ics.uci.edu\/~gmark\/chi08-mark.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><u>A University of California Irvine study<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> revealed that it took an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds for a person to refocus on their task after being distracted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, even if you\u2019re not the average person and you can refocus faster, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll recognize that it still does take several minutes for you to concentrate fully on your task again after an interruption. I know that\u2019s the case for me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there\u2019s another hidden cost of distractions. When multiple people and projects are vying for your attention, you\u2019re at increased risk of cognitive overload from switching your focus. And that means more stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Distraction cost = Time responding + Time refocusing + Cognitive overload (stress)\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So if you\u2019ve been unsure how fast you should reply to work chat, keep in mind this distraction cost and clarify expectations with your colleagues, so that everyone can benefit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Tips to clarify expectations with colleagues<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Devote some time at your next meeting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to raise this topic with those who most frequently interrupt you<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Explain the new practices<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you\u2019re testing out and why they\u2019re important &#8211; not just for you, but also for them, e.g., you\u2019ll be able to give a better-quality response when your cognitive overload is reduced or you\u2019re supporting them to take greater ownership and build their skills before coming to you<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Invite their opinions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; remember that you want an approach that works for you and for your colleagues<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Agree on the approach<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; be sure that everyone is clear on the approach and its importance, and go ahead and test it out (you may like to share this post with your colleagues too)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Tips to improve focus<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Aim for a minimum-distraction environment <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; where possible, choose a location and check that your surroundings support your ability to focus as much as possible<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use status updates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your chat (like \u201cdo not disturb\u201d) or other indications to your colleagues (or family) that you\u2019re focusing &#8211; I tell my family that when I\u2019m looking at my computer screen, it means \u201cPlease don\u2019t talk to me just now\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Be clear on your goal &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">without prioritization and clear reasons why a particular task is important to do now, it\u2019s easy to become distracted<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use the Pomodoro Technique<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; I explained this above (and I\u2019ve been using this for years!)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Listen to binaural beats<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; if sound is an issue in your environment, you can pop in your earbuds and easily find binaural beats or music for focus and productivity on YouTube<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Take regular breaks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; even if you\u2019re not using the Pomodoro Technique, be sure to take breaks to give your brain a chance to refresh\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of these may be more or less suitable for you depending on your preferences and your work situation. Do what works for you!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Straight after I was distracted by Facebook Messenger when I started writing this post, I immediately shut down my social media apps, put on some binaural beats for focus, and set my timer for 25 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And we\u2019re done!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, it\u2019s your turn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Links for you<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/go.sasugacommunications.com\/challenge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-15271 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Email-Challenge-IG-Size-Image.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 450px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 450\/450;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Are you overwhelmed with email? Would you like to deal with emails faster, receive fewer, and have more time to focus on what\u2019s really important for you?<\/p>\n<p>This guide gives you<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-stringify-indent=\"0\">An email each day for 5 days to guide you step by step to create a habit of email efficiency<\/li>\n<li data-stringify-indent=\"0\">Mindset tips for your ongoing success as you develop new behaviors<\/li>\n<li data-stringify-indent=\"0\">A Step Summary and Reminder for you to keep \u2013 just in case you slip out of the habit during particularly busy times, so that you can quickly get back into it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/go.sasugacommunications.com\/challenge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>Yes, I want to stop stressing about email!<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oh this is hilarious! I just sat down to write about work distractions and a Facebook Messenger notification popped up.\u00a0 And I checked it &#8211; lol! How easily are you distracted by work chat and other instant messaging?\u00a0 Are you sometimes frustrated by interruptions, but simultaneously compelled to reply immediately?\u00a0 Read on to discover How [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,55,60,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-communication","category-conference-calls","category-meetings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12459"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18391,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12459\/revisions\/18391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}