Why It's So Hard To Pay Attention, Explained by Science

Why Its So Hard To Pay Attention, Explained By Science 11/07/2017, 17(58
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Why Its So Hard To Pay Attention, Explained By Science
Weve created a world with 300 exabytes of human-made information. Try processing
all that.
[PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK]
https://www.fastcompany.com/3051417/know-it-all/why-its-so-hard-to-pay-attention-explained-by-science Page 1 of 64
BY DANIEL J. LEVITIN
6 MINUTE READ
Today, each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human
history. Our world is now awash in an unprecedented volume of data. The trouble is, our
brains havent evolved to be able to process it all.
MORE AND MORE . . . AND MORE

As former Boeing scientist and New York Times writer Dennis Overbye notes, this
information stream contains more and more information about our liveswhere we shop
and what we buy, indeed, where we are right nowthe economy, the genomes of countless
organisms we cant even name yet, galaxies full of stars we havent counted, traffic jams in
Singapore, and the weather on Mars. That information tumbles faster and faster through
bigger and bigger computers down to everybodys fingertips, which are holding devices with
more processing power than the Apollo mission control.
Information scientists have quantified all this: In 2011, Americans took in five times as much
information every day as they did in 1986the equivalent of 174 newspapers. During our
leisure time, not counting work, each of us processes 34 gigabytes, or 100,000 words, every
day. The worlds 21,274 television stations produce 85,000 hours of original programming
every day as we watch an average of five hours of television daily, the equivalent of 20
gigabytes of audio-video images. Thats not counting YouTube, which uploads 6,000 hours of
video every hour. And computer gaming? It consumes more bytes than all other media put
together, including DVDs, TV, books, magazines, and the Internet.
Just trying to keep our own media and electronic files organized can be overwhelming. Each
of us has the equivalent of over half a million books stored on our computers, not to mention
all the information stored in our cell phones or in the magnetic stripe on the back of our
credit cards. Weve created a world with 300 exabytes (300,000,000,000,000,000,000
pieces) of human-made information. If each of those pieces of information were written on a
3-by-5-inch index card and then spread out side by side, just one persons shareyour share
of this informationwould cover every square inch of Massachusetts and Connecticut
combined.
MENTAL FILTERS ON OVERDRIVE

Our brains have the ability to process the information we take in, but at a cost: We can have
trouble separating the trivial from the important, and all this information processing makes
us tired.
Neurons are living cells with a metabolism; they need oxygen and glucose to survive, and
when theyve been working hard, we experience fatigue. Every status update you read on
Facebook, every tweet or text message you get from a friend, is competing for resources in
your brain with important things like whether to put your savings in stocks or bonds, where
you left your passport, or how best to reconcile with a close friend you just had an argument
with.
The processing capacity of the conscious mind has been estimated (by the researcher Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi and, independently, by Bell Labs engineer Robert Lucky) at 120 bits per
second. That bandwidth, or window, is the speed limit for the traffic of information we can
pay conscious attention to at any one time.
In 2011, Americans took in ve times as much information every

day as they did in 1986.
While a great deal occurs below the threshold of our awareness, and this has an impact on
how we feel and what our life is going to be like, in order for something to become encoded
as part of your experience, you need to have paid conscious attention to it.
What does this bandwidth restrictionthis information speed limitmean in terms of our
interactions with others? In order to understand one person speaking to us, we need to
process 60 bits of information per second. With a processing limit of 120 bits per second, this
means you can barely understand two people talking to you at the same time. Under most
circumstances, you wont be able to understand three people talking at the same time. Were
surrounded on this planet by billions of other humans, but we can understand only two at a
time at the most! Its no wonder that the world is filled with so much misunderstanding.
With such attentional restrictions, its clear why many of us feel overwhelmed by managing
some of the most basic aspects of life. Part of the reason is that our brains evolved to help us
deal with life during the hunter-gatherer phase of human history, a time when we might
encounter no more than a thousand people across the entire span of our lifetime. Walking
around midtown Manhattan, youll pass that number of people in half an hour.
WHAT PAYING ATTENTION COSTS YOUR BRAIN

Attention is the most essential mental resource for any organism. It determines which
aspects of the environment we deal with, and most of the time, various automatic,
subconscious processes make the correct choice about what gets passed through to our
conscious awareness. For this to happen, millions of neurons are constantly monitoring the
environment to select the most important things for us to focus on.
The processing capacity of the conscious mind has been

estimated at 120 bits per second.
These neurons are collectively the attentional filter. They work largely in the background,
outside of our conscious awareness. This is why most of the perceptual detritus of our daily
lives doesnt register, or why, when youve been driving on the freeway for several hours at a
stretch, you dont remember much of the scenery that has whizzed by: Your attentional
system protects you from registering it because it isnt deemed important. This
unconscious filter follows certain principles about what it will let through to your conscious
awareness.
The attentional filter is one of evolutions greatest achievements. In nonhumans, it ensures

that they dont get distracted by irrelevant things. Squirrels are interested in nuts and
predators and not much else. Dogs, whose olfactory sense is 1 million times more sensitive
than ours, use smell to gather information about the world more than they use sound, and
their attentional filter has evolved to make it so. If youve ever tried to call your dog while
hes smelling something interesting, you know that it is very difficult to grab his attention
with soundsmell trumps sound in the dog brain.
HOW WE ARE (AND ARENT) COPING

No one has yet worked out all of the hierarchies and trumping factors in the human
attentional filter, but weve learned a great deal about it. When our protohuman ancestors
left the cover of the trees to seek new sources of food, they simultaneously opened up a vast
range of new possibilities for nourishment and exposed themselves to a wide range of new
predators. Being alert and vigilant to threatening sounds and visual cues is what allowed
them to survive; this meant allowing an increasing amount of information through the
attentional filter.
Our brains do have the ability to process the information we take

in, but at a cost.
Humans are, by most biological measures, the most successful species our planet has seen.
We have managed to survive in nearly every climate our planet has offered (so far), and the
rate of our population expansion exceeds that of any other known organism. Ten thousand
years ago, humans plus their pets and livestock accounted for about 0.1% of the terrestrial
vertebrate biomass inhabiting the earth; we now account for 98%. Our success owes in large
part to our cognitive capacity, the ability of our brains to flexibly handle information. But our
brains evolved in a much simpler world with far less information coming at us. Today, our
attentional filters easily become overwhelmed.
Successful peopleor those who can afford itemploy layers of other people whose job it is
to narrow their own attentional filters. Corporate heads, political leaders, movie stars, and
others whose time and attention are especially valuable have a staff around them who are
basically extensions of their own brains, replicating and refining the functions of the
prefrontal cortexs attentional filter. For the unlucky rest of us, though, the fact is that paying
attention will continue to cost our mental faculties a great deal.
This article is adapted from The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of
Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin (Plume/Penguin Random House, 2014). It is
reprinted with permission.
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07.11.17 8:00 AM CAREER EVOLUTION
LinkedIn Is Testing A New Feature That Matches You With A Mentor

LinkedIn aims to tap the entire user community to make matches between mentees
and leaders with less commitment than traditional mentorship relationships.
[Photo: Colton Cotton via Wikimedia Commons]
BY LYDIA DISHMAN
3 MINUTE READ
Heres what we know: Mentorship can be a valuable stepping stone to career advancement
both for the mentee and their mentor. Yet, many of us never have a formal mentor
relationship.
Which means that many workers looking to advance their career have to look outside their
companies to find a mentor. LinkedIn thinks it may have found a solution to this problem
based on observing its users activity.
Hari Srinivasan, director of product management at LinkedIn, says that people naturally
start talking to others within their companies to get career advice. However, he points out,
As people spend less and less time at a company, its hard to find people you need to talk
to. Internal analysis of user actions revealed that 89% of senior leaders on LinkedIn would
be interested in giving advice. Among those seeking advice, exploring career options was one
of the top issues they wanted to discuss with a mentor.
Today, LinkedIn is testing out a new free service for members that will match them with
other professionals who can give them that much needed career advice. Think of it as a new
form of mentorship thats virtual, lightweight, and that fits todays changing workplace, says
Suzi Owens, group manager of Consumer Products, Corporate Communications at
LinkedIn.
[Photo: courtesy of LinkedIn]
The way it works is fairly straightforward. There will be a dedicated spot on your profile
called your dashboard, which is private and can be accessed on desktop or mobile. This will
display the career advice hub where you can sign up to be a mentor or a mentee.
The first screen is a basic overview of the function and its value for both those giving and
getting advice. From there, you are instructed to provide specifics on who youd like to talk to
with parameters such as region, industry, school, etc. The next screen gives you an option to
refine preferences by type of advice such as entrepreneurship, job search, career growth, etc.
As soon as the preferences are entered, LinkedIns matching algorithm will immediately send
recommendations for matches. If you have multiple requests out, you can swipe to see all the
matches. If you select someone who is a match they will get a message immediately notifying
them of your interest to connect. Once both parties agree, they can start talking either on
LinkedIns platform or take the conversation offline, if they prefer.
Srinivasan says that the tool is designed to keep members engaged with new
recommendations sent weekly. Owens also points out that you are able to connect with
anyone who is a match to extend beyond your own network to tap into experienced leaders
in our community.
[Photo: courtesy of LinkedIn]
On the surface, it sounds like a tremendous opportunity to use an algorithm to tap the
expertise of some 500 million LinkedIn members. However, Srinivasan acknowledged that
one of the potential stumbling blocks was that members needed to be mindful of
expectations. One of the reasons mentorships fail is because the mentee isnt always able to
articulate what they need or asks too much of a mentor. He says LinkedIn is working on ways
to make the conversation flow more smoothly so both sides get what they need.
Its intimidating once you get matched to have to start the conversation, he explains, so
theyre building in ways to see where people overlap or see what they have in common. He
also says they are working on content with tips to help people understand how to give and
get good advice.
The feature will not be rolled out widely at first. Owens says a small subset of members will
get it and didnt offer further specifics. She did say that they will continue to work on the
offerings during the test and that all members will be able to access this service by the end of
the summer.
Owens underscores that its not meant to be a replacement for long-term mentorship. Its
meant to tackle those quick question requests such as whether you are taking the right
approach in different scenarios. Although that evokes the need for speed, Srinivasan says its
the quality of advice that will determine success when you are able to have this kind of
experience.
Those looking for instant advice a la chatbot may be disappointed depending on how rapidly
their match responds. This new service, like any good mentorship relationship, will take
some time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lydia Dishman is a business journalist writing about the intersection of tech, leadership, commerce, and
innovation. She is a regular contributor to Fast Company and has written for CBS Moneywatch, Fortune, The
Guardian, Popular Science, and the New York Times, among others. More
07.06.17 POV
Im Living Proof That Its Time To Redefine The American Dream

This 27-year-old says earlier generations definition of success is no longer as
accessible or appealing as it used to beand she finds that liberating.
[Photo: Jay Wennington]
BY ELAINA GIOLANDO
5 MINUTE READ
This story reflects the views of this author, but not necessarily the editorial position of Fast
Company.
Im 27, which means I belong to a demographic that government data and corporate research
suggest is missing out on the American Dream. We live at home, change jobs every other
year, and are unemployed or underemployed for long stretches. And make no mistake: thats
true of many of my peers. But while the obstacles we face are realand unevenly portioned
outthe statistics dont capture the nuances of millennial life. At least not mine.
Ive been a minimalist nomad for four years, freelancing in international project
management for a variety of organizations that take me overseas. As a result, Ive lived off
the beaten path, in placeslike Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Qatarthat few Americans even visit.
When Im not working for companies like IBM or Uber, Im traveling through Asia or South
America while making ends meet with my blog and coaching business; Ill be based in Berlin
for the next few months. I know this isnt exactly typical, but its the type of 21st-century
career Ive built for myself because the old model is no longer as accessible or appealing as it
used to be.
Related: Whats Your American Dream Score? This Quiz Will Tell You
My parents are easier to put in a box. Theyve met all of their generations classic success
indicators: They own a beautiful home they built themselves, my father has worked at the
same company for the past 20 years and in the same field for the past 40, and theyll retire
debt-free in a few years thanks to careful planning of their 401(k)all of which puts them
ahead of far too many others in their age group today. They dont come from money (neither
have a degree and my father works hard but humbly in the construction industry), but
theyve been able to put down roots, raise a family, and build a life that reflects stability and
responsibility.
Its no secret that fewer and fewer Americans are finding themselves capable of doing the
same, but Im living proof that that might not always be a tragedy. Unlike my parents, whove
come to accept my slightly unconventional lifestyle, I dont plan on owning a home or a car. I
dont plan on working for one company for more than a few yearsor even having just one
career. Like an ever-increasing number of millennials, I thrive on landing contracts,
freelancing, and building a client base on my own. Someday Id like to operate my own
business, but it probably wont have an address on Main Street.
By my own humble standards, Id say Im successful, although members of Generation X

may raise an eyebrow at that statement. I count myself fortunate to have a university degree,
five years of work experience, no debt, and an income that supports me with enough to invest
and save for the future, although its not necessarily locked away in a 401(k) for retirement.
(I keep most of my savings in a local credit union, invest in hand-picked stocks and digital
currencies, and experiment strategically with robo-investors like Wealthfront).
Related: The American Dream Is Fading For Millions Of FreelancersPortable Benefits

Could Save It
My success, and many of my millennial counterparts will agree, revolves around freedom of
choice, mobility, and potentiala lot of which weve won for ourselves out of necessity. In the
aftermath of the past decades financial crisis, weve had no choice but to adapt, and that
inevitably meant rethinking our career values. Personally, I value adventure over stability,
experiences over savings, and change over certainty.
I would be lying to you if I wasnt occasionally freaked out by the realization that if I die
tomorrow Im leaving behind little more than some T-shirts and a toothbrush. But unlike so
many previous generations of human beings, my legacy wont rest on physical manifestations
of wealth and achievement: passing land down to my sons, owning a prosperous farm, or
building a home in the suburbs. In todays digital age, where wealth can be generated from
concepts as abstract as cryptocurrency, advertising potential, and brands composed of photo
reels on Instagram, our legacies and successes are also increasingly abstract.
While were still a hugely consumer-driven society, my generation has birthed a minimalist
movement, and there are more people like me out there than ever before: highly mobile, tied
to fewer possessions, and tapping platforms (just like this one) to reach out to millions of
people on a daily basis. People like me are motivated by ideas of success that are much less
tangible, because we operate in a world thats ever less tangible itself.
Our culture of immediacy born through technology is so often lamented. But Im thriving in
it. Unapologetically, I care about the here-and-now, and for better or worse, Im not
motivated to postpone gratification to old age. Im passionate about developing and sharing
ideas, being recognized as an individual (instead of being recognized for years of dedicated
service to an organization), and influencing my vastly extended global peer group.
Related: Where The American Dream Is The Most Dead, People Believe In It The Most
Strongly
To me, achieving the American Dream is no longer about accumulating money and property
but about using my resources to maximize my freedom and individual impact. No, Im not so
nave that I believe a slew of social injustices, political divisions, and economic pressures can
be done away with simply by a shift in mind-set. But I do believe this millennial-driven
vision can move us away from the consumerism and material self-expression to which so
many peoples ideas of success are still tied. In the process, we can generate a variety of
inspiring ways to live and work.
When we broaden our definition of success, we stand a better shot at uplifting and
empowering more people in the increasingly diverse, conflicted, stratified, and unpredictable
society that ours is now becoming. Getting that right is the dream Im striving for. What
about you?
Elaina Giolando is an international project manager and digital nomad whos lived and
worked in more than 50 countries. She writes about global careers, unconventional lifestyle
design, and meaningful travel on Life Before 30.
07.10.17 INNOVATION AGENTS
The Three-Step Process Thats Kept 3M Innovative For Decades

One 3M scientist explains how the approach his team used to develop a nasal antiseptic
for hospitals is an organizational lesson every business should learn.
[Photo: Tom Werner/Getty Images]
BY MATT SCHOLZ
4 MINUTE READ
The hardest part of my job is trying to find a problem worth solving. And around a decade
ago, we found a huge one: up to 160,000300,000 patients were incurring surgical-site
infections (SSIs) in the U.S. each year. But the way we eventually solved it actually wasnt
unusually difficult. Im a corporate scientist at 3M, but Im also frequently known around
here as a Scout, one of three designationsalongside Entrepreneurs and
Implementerswithin an organizational structure thats helped us go from problem to
product for decades.
For years, these three-part teams have rallied around a given project and seen it all the way
through, then they disband and recombine to tackle the next challenge. Heres how it works:
FOLLOW YOUR NOSE

Back in 2007, fellow 3M scientists and I were talking to customers, visiting hospitals and
clinics, and reviewing the medical research when we learned that concern was rising about
SSIs, especially those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and
other potentially deadly forms of that bacterial strain. Approximately 20% of people are
persistent carriers of it, and 60% are intermittent carriers. Since S. aureus is typically found
in the nose, that put a lot of people at risk for infection during surgical procedures.
As Scouts, one colleague and I were essentially project hunters, and it seemed like wed
found our next one. There was already research suggesting that one common method of
preventionusing the antibiotic drug mupirocincan be effective in patients, but antibiotic
resistance to that treatment was on the rise. Plus, the most common preventative measure
required patients to apply an ointment into each nostril twice a day for five days prior to
surgery. So the rate of non-compliance was a concern.
We thought one of our existing products could be adapted to help solve the problem, so we
sat down with a team of three 3M Entrepreneurswhose job it is to figure out how to
capitalize on the opportunities Scouts come up withand the five of us had a eureka
moment: What about using iodine as a nasal treatment before each operation?
PASSING THE BATON

Consolidating a few years of hard work into a sentence or two, heres what happened: The
Scouts stepped aside, and the Entrepreneurs took over. Since those designations cross job
titles, the Entrepreneurs on this project consisted of fellow scientists as well as engineering,
manufacturing, and other functional expertswho together were taxed with removing the
unknown.
They fleshed out an initial prototype and developed a number of chemical formulations for
the product. Then each was rigorously modeled, tested, analyzed, tweaked, and tested. This,
of course, took more time than it had my fellow Scout and me to identify the problem. The
scouting phase took only three months, whereas the entrepreneurial development phase took
about nine months.
Once the Entrepreneurs had gone through enough trials and due diligence to reach a viable
solution, they passed it along to a team of around a dozen Implementers to get it ready for
commercialization. This was a longer process, stretching across roughly 18 months of
rigorous market testing, seeking and adapting to regulatory guidelines, nailing down supply-
chain quality and performance metrics, and building out the go-to-market roadmap. But it
worked.
In 2010, the 3M Skin and Nasal Antiseptic Patient Preoperative Skin Preparation hit the
market. In the seven years since, its been used in health care facilities and has helped reduce
the likelihood of SSIs. A key reason why is that it only needs to be applied oncein the
patients nose at the hospital, just an hour before surgery. One reason the Scouts,
Entrepreneurs, and Implementers are still so proud of it is because its so easy and effective
a Holy Grail for pre-surgical procedures and medical products in general.
COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING DONE RIGHT

Im often asked why the three-team approach works at 3M. I think its genius lies in its
simplicity: Bring smart people together, with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise,
and let them play to their strengths and their passions. Youre not forcing everybody to do
the same thing.
And we dont just stick together from one project to the next the way traditional corporate
departments do; our teams of Scouts, Entrepreneurs, and Implementers are constantly
recombining depending on the problems were trying to solve. This method is quite different
from the burn the ship approach to innovation, where the team is laser-focused on one
defined goal. With blinders on, its easy to miss how crucial exploratory research can be.
This collaborative culture is something lots of companies struggle to implement, but its been
part of our DNA for decades. Its also whats behind 3Ms 15% culture, which lets
employees spend up to 15% of their time on projects of their choosing, as long as they might
benefit the company (former chairman William McKnight, described it as experimental
doodling). Similar to Googles onetime 20% policy, these 15% projects at 3M are often
where Scouts hit up on great ideas and help coworkers with their own undertakings.
As a result of this flexibility, Ive been both a Scout and Entrepreneur on countless projects
two areas where I feel skilled, confident, and passionatewhile rarely having to serve as an
Implementer, where I know others are better suited. Mixing things up is just what we do, but
theres a method to the madness, and its what makes meand the whole companythrive.
Matt Scholz is a corporate scientist in the Infection Prevention Division Laboratory at 3M.
In over 35 years with the company, he has been responsible for products that help repair
broken bones, protect wounds, and keep doctors and patients safe from infection. Hes a co-
inventor on more than 150 issued U.S. patents.
07.10.17
Keeping Track Of All These Voice Assistants Is Becoming A Problem

As the Siri and Alexa clones add up, all their different skill sets and ways of talking
could turn consumers off.
[Source Photos: Flickr users MouthGuy2013, and Nicole Mayone]
BY BOB O'DONNELL
5 MINUTE READ
Even for a casual observer of the tech industry, its easy to see that digital assistants such as
Amazons Alexa, Apples Siri, Googles Assistant, Microsofts Cortana, and Samsungs Bixby
are hot. Whether embedded into the latest smart speakers, built into the latest device
operating systems, or evolving as independent entities, these new anthropomorphized
chunks of code are receiving enormous amounts of attention from tech vendors, the tech
press, and the general public.
But as hot as they are, theres confusion among consumers about what digital assistants are
and what theyre supposed to do. Thats largely because the various assistants offer an
overlapping, but different, set of skills, to use Amazons term.
My firm, TECHnalysis Research, surveyed just under 1,000 people who own and use smart
home and digital assistant products. The key takeaway of the research is that no one
assistant currently has the ability to meet most peoples needsmore than half (55%) said
they use multiple digital assistants. And just over a third of that group said they werent
comfortable doing so, because of differences in the ways assistants currently work.
The various assistants understand different wake-up words, and different phrases to call
up specific data or actions. If people have to learn how to address and ask questions or make
requests of assistants in very different ways, it may cause confusion that ultimately leads to a
slowdown in adoption of assistants in general.
The decision over what assistant to use depends on the device they live in. Those that live in
smart speakers (Alexa . . .) are used more than those built into phones or PCs (Hey Siri . .
.), the research shows. Interestingly, multi-assistant users most often select an assistant
based on the device thats closest to them.
It also depends on the task the user has in mind. Eighty-six percent of smart-speaker owners
ask their device to play music, for example, while just 52% of smartphone users ask their
assistant to do so, and only 46% of PC-based assistant users.
A NEW CONCEPT
The path to consumer-friendly personal assistants includes a few milestones in computing
(dont forget Microsofts Clippy), but Apples Siri was the first to popularize the concept in
2011. It presented itself as a mobile, voice-driven interface (with a limited vocabulary) that
allowed certain types of commands to be made and certain types of information to be
requested. Even as it has expanded its applications, Apple has sought to keep Siris skills
limited. Siri was also limited by the single basic microphone found on an iPhone or iPad.
The big bang in the digital assistant world came with Amazons Echo device, which was
announced in the fall of 2014 and became widely available in the spring of 2015. The Echo
used a specially designed microphone array optimized to get a clean input signal from your
voice. More importantly, though, Echos assistant, Alexa, also brought with her a wider
vocabulary of recognizable words than Siri. And a year into her life, Alexa learned even more
words as developers created third-party skills for her.
Along the way, Microsoft introduced Cortana. Google first tried Google Now, then renamed
the assistant Google Assistant, suggesting that the artificial intelligence-powered assistant
would underpin lots of Google services. In addition to voice, both of these assistants also
brought with them an enhanced AI focus. Each in their own way, they proactively learn
things about you by looking (with your approval) at your productivity and personal data.
They use this data to offer more personalized and contextually relevant data to you
throughout the day. Siri and Alexa have steadily added these machine-learning capabilities,
too.
Samsungs Bixby and the Google Lens add-on to Google Assistant give the digital assistant
the power of sight. The use the host devices camera to capture images of people, objects, and
places around you, then use sophisticated AI to recognize and manage them. This new twist
adds an intriguing layer of contextual information. The assistant can see whats going on
around you.
Related: After Lots Of Talk, Microsofts Bots Show Signs Of Life
DIFFERENTIATION
Moving forward, well see even more capabilities added to digital assistants, including more
natural responses, the ability to sustain longer conversations, and other skills that havent
even been thought of yet. In many cases, however, those advancements are likely to be rather
subtle, such as moving from a two-question interaction to a three-question one, or providing
a slightly more contextually appropriate response to one of your queries.
As assistants gradually get smarter, theyre likely to specialize in different ways to

accommodate different users and use cases. Actually, were already seeing differences in
approach among the various assistants. One assistant might be good at providing answers to
random questions (Whats the capital of South Dakota?), while another might be far better
at helping a user organize a future conference call.
While the ultimate goal of all the assistant platforms may be the sameto provide the digital
equivalent of a personal assistanteach of the big tech companies creating them is coming at
the concept with a unique perspective and with its own agenda. Apple wants to provide links
to its services, all while maintaining the privacy of individuals. Google wants to leverage
search to gather lots of personal data to create a smarter assistant (and potentially open up
new advertising channels). Amazon wants to provide an intuitive, natural language front
door to its many services, and maybe gain a foothold in the tech platform wars.
In practical terms, that likely means the various assistants will end up asserting themselves
as very distinct, and different, personalities.
PLATFORM WARS
This all matters because digital assistants represent the next great tech platform battle. All
the major tech players know this, and are working to create platforms that can be built upon
to sell additional services, provide deeper hooks into their respective ecosystems, or develop
other types of products or business models that have yet to be completely figured out.
Because of that potential, digital assistants now carry with them the gravitas of being
inherently important for future business.
At the same time, all these major tech vendors also recognize that its still early days for
digital assistants, so theres a chance for almost anyone to release a product and grab some
market share.
For consumers, digital assistants represent an intriguing glimpse into the future of more
personalized, more contextualized, and more meaningful types of computing experiences.
They show the potential for all the intelligent devices around us to go way beyond simply
showing us pretty digital things on various screens. Assistants could enable completely new
types of interactions with users. They could become like personal concierges that show us
just the right information at just the right times. They might also provide a bridge between
the digital world and the analog world we inhabit.
The era of the digital assistant is coming, but getting thereand determining where there is
will mean a rocky climb, as we search for the right words to speak to overlapping,
incomplete visions of that future.
Bob ODonnell is the president and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC a market
research firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the
technology industry and professional financial community. You can follow him on Twitter
@bobodtech.
Fast Company Daily Newsletter
07.10.17 YOUR MOST PRODUCTIVE SELF
This Is How To Write A Follow-Up Email Thats Not Annoying

Its always better to assume that whoever youre emailing has more important things to
do than reply to your message.
[Photo: Startup Stock Photos]
BY ANISA PURBASARI HORTON

5 MINUTE READ
As a journalist who frequently reviews and edits submissions, I often find myself switching
between writing and reading follow-up emails. And if theres anything that being on the
sending and receiving end of these have taught me, its that many of the tactics people
use arent very effective (and are really annoying at best).
As a sender, Ive learned that its best to work from the assumption that whoever Im writing
to probably has more pressing matters to attend to than answer my emails. This forces me to
make sure I articulate why its in the receivers interest to reply. As a receiver, theres nothing
more annoying than getting an email that assumes Ill work to the senders timeline, even
when its clear that its extremely inconvenient to mine, or when theres no benefit to me
whatsoever.
Of course, this is just one of the many dos and donts to think about when writing a follow-up
email. Here are others you might want to consider before sending your next one, particularly
if you need a response urgently.
MAKE IT AS EASY FOR THE RECIPIENT AS POSSIBLE

Many people struggle with managing their inboxes as it is. So to make it worth their time to
reply to your follow-up, its important that you, the sender, do all the hard work you can on
your end before hitting send.
Related: How To Write A Work Email When Youre Really Pissed Off
As Jocelyn Glei writes in her book, Unsubscribe: How to Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid
Distractions, and Get Real Work Done, instead of sending a generic message like just
following upoffer a concise recap of your request so that the person doesnt have to go back
and read your long email thread. As Glei pointed out, If that person didnt respond to your
email the first time, resending the same message is probably not going to get better results
the second time.
DONT CREATE MORE WORK FOR THE RECIPIENT

As a receiver, theres nothing more frustrating than having to search my inbox to figure out
what the sender is referring to before I can even reply. On busy days, these are the kinds of
emails I tend to ignore. If you send someone a signal that its not worth your time to do the
hard work yourself, then the recipient will probably feel the same way.
BE POLITE AND RESPECTFUL OF THEIR TIME

Theres nothing wrong with following up, but there is something wrong with following up too
soon and writing emails in a way that screams, I have no respect for your time. Kara
Corridan, executive editor Of Scholastic and former health director Of Parents magazine,
previously spoke with Fast Company about following up on a pitch: Certain people that
send me something on a Friday and then follow up on Monday-its ludicrous. Even if we
were interested, we couldnt turn things around that frequently.
Leave a little bit of a window for the recipient to get back to you and understand that they,
too, have other priorities that are probably more important to them than your email.
According to Glei, youre not entitled to a response from someone else who, like you, might
be too busy with their own tasks to deal with yours.
She wrote, You might begin your message with, I know you have a hectic schedule, but Im
wondering if youve had time to consider my request to . . . ? or something similar.
Acknowledging that you understand the receiver is juggling a lot of tasks, of which your
request is just one small consideration, always helps.
DONT BE UNNECESSARILY PUSHY OR PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE

Ive lost count of the number of times people have marked their emails high priority when its
clearly not, present arbitrary deadlines that are unreasonable for what theyre requesting, or
use passive-aggressive phrases such as, Hi, I havent heard from you since I sent my email
over a week ago. I assume youre not interested, but just in case you are, I thought Id check
in.
Related: Everyone Secretly Hates Your Friendly Reminder Email
If youre using any of these approaches to follow up on your request, then the tactic will
probably backfire. Corridan told Fast Company that emails with passive-aggressive tones
dont sit well with her. And as Lisa Evans previously wrote for Fast Company, Flagging your
email as high priority should be done sparingly and only in real cases of urgency. Better than
marking an email as a high priority? Using a descriptive subject line that emphasizes the
urgency of the message.
INCLUDE SPECIFICS AND A CALL TO ACTION IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE

If your recipient is someone who gets a lot of emails, then chances are that they probably
wont read every single one. Instead, theyre more likely to skim through the subject line and
only click on the ones that look important to them. The ones that dont will probably just be
left unread, or relegated to trash.
This does mean that to get their attention, youll have to do a little bit of thinking on what
exactly youre hoping to get from their response, and find a way to articulate it in your
subject line. Peggy Duncan, productivity expert, author of Conquer Email Overload with
Better Habits, Etiquette and Outlook, and founder of The Digital Breakthroughs Institute,
previously told Fast Company, I should know precisely what your email is about just by
reading the subject line, the way I would a headline in a newspaper.
DONT USE A VAGUE OR GENERIC SUBJECT LINE

Nick Martell and Jack Kramer, cofounders of the financial news newsletter MarketSnacks,
previously told Fast Company that you live and die by your subject line. Just checking in,
they say, is an email subject-line recipe for ignore.'
ONLY SEND YOUR EMAIL TO THE PERSON CONCERNED

It can be tempting to send emails to multiple people in that team if one person isnt being
particularly responsive, but overusing this approach is unprofessional and should only be
used as a last resort.
Duncan said, When sending an email, ask yourself who needs to receive the information
youre sending, and only send it to those individuals. If this isnt clear, ask yourself the
question, Would I pick this person to call about what Im about to email them? If the answer
is no, Duncan said, Why are you emailing them about it?
DONT COPY OTHERS ON EMAIL WHEN YOU DONT NEED TO

In your dream world, theyll have to talk to each other about this because they all got
your email, right? Wrong. In fact, theyll probably just forward it to the person whos actually
supposed to receive the email, and then all you would have done is clog their inbox. How
does that make you feel when someone does that to you? We thought so.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anisa is the Editorial Assistant for Fast Company's Leadership section. She covers everything from personal
development, entrepreneurship and the future of work. More
07.06.17
We Watched Every Fast & Furious Movie To Better Understand

Michelle Rodriguezs Point
The star talked about opting out of future installments if the series doesnt show some
love to the women of the franchise in future installments, prompting responses from
Vin Diesel and director F. Gary Gray.
The Fate of The Furious, 2017 [Photo: Matt Kennedy, courtesy of Universal Pictures]
BY DAN SOLOMON
4 MINUTE READ
Michelle Rodriguez kicked off a firestorm last week by promising a fast and furious exit from
the series shes been part of for the past 16 yearsif the next entry doesnt show some love to
the women of the franchise.
The actor who plays core character Letty Ortiz telegraphed her potential goodbye on
Instagram the day The Fate of the Furious hit home media. That films director, F. Gary
Gray, then responded defensively on Monday, explaining that, while hes new to the
franchise, he thought there was a strong representation of women in the movie, citing the
fact that Charlize Theron plays the villain, and Dame Helen Mirren has a much-publicized
cameo. Franchise star Vin Diesel, meanwhile, was a little more open to Rodriguezs critique,
agreeing that, while hes proud of the franchise, We must try to reach higher each time,
adding that the challenge is what makes it fun and exciting.
mrodofficial Verified Follow
224.4k likes 2,341 comments

F8 is out digitally today, I hope they decide to show some love to the women of
the franchise on the next one. Or I just might have to say goodbye to a loved
franchise. It's been a good ride & Im grateful for the opportunity the fans &
studio have provided over the years... One Love ! # $ % ' ( )
Instagram
JUNE 27
While Fast Company is loathe to position ourselves as end-all be-all arbiters of something as
pernicious as sexism in blockbuster entertainment, we did find the time to go through the
franchise to find some more specific examples of what Rodriguez might have been talking
about.
There are a lot of things that might frustrate a woman who cares not just about having
female characters represented on screen (there are a lot of women in these movies), but
having them represented in a way that, as Rodriguez put it, shows love to them. Every film in
the series has at least one, often many more, scenes that involve cameras lingering over the
butts and boobs of various womenoften with, like, their heads cut out of the frame, as they
bend over into impractical positions to buff the hoods of various cars that the dudes in the
film will drive. (Sometimes theyre painted gold!)
The Fate of the Furious - O0cial Trailer - #F8 In Theaters April 14 (HD)
Women serving mostly as objects to ogle while the men get to do the exciting things isnt a
problem thats limited to the Fast & Furious films, but its definitely a factor in this franchise
even after eight films. The franchise is lauded for its diversityof the twelve heroes whove
formed the core team of lovable car-racing rogues in the series, only three (Paul Walker, Kurt
Russell, and Scott Eastwood) have been white men. Thats a smaller number than the
number of women on the team, with Rodriguez leading a roster that included Jordana
Brewster (until Walkers death, as their characters were married) and Gal Gadot, as well as
current series star Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays computer expert Ramsey. Still, though,
Rodriguezs point about gender is well-taken when you consider that it still means that the
men outnumber the women two to one. (These numbers ignore the secondary characters, as
well as Minka Kellys star making turn as Girl in the 2 Fast 2 Furious prelude short film,
but the ratio stays the same in either case.)
2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003 [Photo: Eli Reed, courtesy of Universal Pictures]
Grays point about Charlize Theron is also worth considering, but shes the first female lead
villain that the series has had in eight films, so its not necessarily time for the series to pat
itself on the back. The series has done a good job of casting women in supplemental villain
roles, and giving them interesting things to doGina Caranos turn in Fast & Furious 6 as
the DSS agent who betrays the team is one of the more interesting in the series, and Ronda
Rousey leads a team of interesting hijab-wearing security personnel in Furious 7.
Still, its hard to argue with Rodriguezs larger point about the series. Shes built her career
on playing tough women, but until Fate of the Furious, Letty hasnt had as much to do as the
characters shes played in even dubious series like Resident Evil and Machete. Shes also
been the victim of fridging, in which female characters are killed (on- or off-screen) as a
way to further motivate the storys male heroes. (Letty died in the fourth Fast & Furious
installment, then came back with amnesiait was a whole thing.) Thats a fate that was
suffered by Gal Gadots Gisele, as well, and Elsa Patakys Elena in subsequent films. Nathalie
Emmanuel, presumably, reads each script with trepidationso far, only she and Brewster
have made it out of this franchise without being killed to further a mans story.
The Fast and The Furious, 2001 [Photo: courtesy of Universal Pictures]
All of this stuff is common in action movies, of course, but it really is something thatwhen
you combine it with the visual of disembodied boobs and butts being lingered over lovingly
before setting up a car race or an action sequencedoes make things seem kind of unfriendly
to women who want to watch without feeling like the series is explicitly not for them. That
aspect of the franchise might be shifting under Grays directionFate of the Furious only
had one butts-n-boobs sequence, compared to Furious 7s three or Fast & Furious: Tokyo
Drifts fourbut its fair for Rodriguez to object, given the history of the series. And given
that her ability to affect change is limited mostly by threatening to withhold her participation
in future films if she and Ramsey dont get to play parts more integral to the plot, if more
women dont end up on the team overall (would it have killed them to cast a lady instead of
friggin Scott Eastwood?), and if the cameras maybe 40% less objectifying in the ninth and
tenth installments, well see what happens to Letty next time out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan Solomon lives in Austin with his wife and his dog. He's written about music for MTV and Spin, sports for
Sports Illustrated, and pop culture for Vulture and the AV Club. More
Fast Company Daily Newsletter
12.12.16 OUT OF OFFICE WITH
How I Worked Productively On A Year-Long Family Trip Around The

World
A startup founder shares tips for staying connected while traveling. ( Hint: Keep a
crappy old smartphone in the bottom of your suitcase.)
[PHOTO: FAJARADDANA VIA PIXABAY; APP PHOTO: WALT DISNEY PICTURES ("AROUND THE WORLD IN 80
DAYS", 2004)]
BY SCOTT WHARTON
5 MINUTE READ
A couple of years ago, my wife and I finally did something wed dreamed about for years; we
ditched our house and cars, put the rest of our stuff in storage, took our 10- and 13-year-old
boys out of school, and hit the road with only one bag each.
You can access cell coverage or Wi-Fi from just about anywhere . . .
I even took a board call mid-hike one day on my way to base camp
on Mt. Everest.
Wed figured it was a now or never type of thing. At the time, I was winding down with one
startup Id cofounded that had recently been acquired, but Id held onto a few board of
director positions, including one with a small telecom company. Over the course of our
travels, that business got acquired, too, and since I chaired its board, I needed to stay in
touch with colleagues during that crucial time more than Id expected to.
That meant developing a few productivity strategies on the flyapproaches that would let me
stay focused when I needed to but still disconnect to spend time with my family just as Id
planned. Most of all, my working methods would need to be flexible enough to weather all
kinds of situations our travels would find us in. Heres what proved most effective.
MAKE TIME TO BE AT WORKAND TO GO OFFLINE

One of the advantages to being in another time zone is that you can connect with colleagues
and make business calls late at night, without losing out on sightseeing. For me, video was a
huge helper here. I got more done via video that year than I could have by just using email
and making ordinary phone calls.
Of course, we all have to sleep at some point, and traveling constantly is exhausting. So even
though I did some creative scheduling to take advantage of time differences, I didnt want to
be woken up at 3 a.m. by colleagues who were just having lunch on the other side of the
world. My phones do not disturb function came in handy there.
PLAN TO STAY CONNECTED (ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK)

A lot of people think its hard to stay connected while traveling, and it can be. But I found a
few easy and affordable ways to stay online virtually whenever and wherever. I invested in a
T-Mobile phone plan that let me roam with unlimited data in just about any country, without
having to laboriously search for SIM cards and sign up for new plans in each new place. This
way, as soon as I landed in a new city, on a remote island, or in the hinterlands, I could at
least check in on some work items.
Other commonplace collaboration apps were no-brainers, like Google Docs. I used cloud-
based tools, including Dropbox, for personal stuff, too. From passport photos to
immunization records, having online connectivity that syncs with your phone can save you a
lot of time, money, and hassle. And if you sign up for iBooks or Kindle Unlimited, you can
keep your reading material (including travel guides) at your fingertips without buying new
ones in each new destination and lugging them around.
From passport photos to immunization records, having online

connectivity that syncs with your phone can save you a lot of
time, money, and hassle.
I actually found that you can access cell coverage or Wi-Fi from just about anywhere these
daysfrom the beach to a high-altitude hike in the Himalayas. I even took a board call mid-
hike one day on my way to base camp on Mt. Everest. I also made sure to carry an unlocked
phone so youre not locked into one carrier when staying for longer periods. I was able to
secure a 3-GB plan in Nepal for the equivalent of about $10 and phone calls back to the U.S.
for two cents per minute.
For everything else, theres WhatsApp for texting and Skype audio for making calls to
traditional phone lines. If you have Google Hangouts and a data plan, you can make free
phone calls to regular phones in the U.S. while abroad.
[PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SCOTT WHATRON VIA ONE BAG EACH]
PACK YOUR LAPTOP AND BATTERIES

Your smartphone cant do everything, I found, not even coupled with a tablet. Unfortunately,
theres still no substitute for a full-fledged laptop. We might be getting there sometime soon,
but I wouldnt have given up my laptop for anything. And be sure to bring lots of backup
batteries for your devices (Anker is my brand of choice). The last thing you want is to be
tethered to an outlet in a cafe or hotel room when youre trying to see the world.
KEEP A BACKUP DEVICE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SUITCASE

When youre traveling nonstop, you can expect more than lifes usual dosage of surprises. For
me, it was when my phone was stolen out of my hands while in a tuk-tuk (like a cross
between a rickshaw and motorcycle) in Cambodia. Before long, Id learned the hard way that
they sell different phones in different regionsand that GSM cellular frequencies are
different all around the world.
A colleague very generously shipped me a new iPhone, but it got

stuck in customs for weeks.
A colleague very generously shipped me a new iPhone, but it got stuck in customs for weeks.
So be sure to keep a backup phone with you just in case. I had an iPhone 4 that still worked;
it wasnt ideal, but it was certainly better than nothing.
KNOW WHEN TO SHUT THE DAMN THING OFF

The digital infrastructure that lets us keep in touch from anywhere is a modern marvel, but
its also important to maintain work-life balance. I had to remind myself to unplug and take
time to enjoy the places we visitedotherwise what was the point?
In fact, since this was a family trip, I was extra keen to stay in touch with my family and loved
ones around the world. We Skyped and FaceTimed quite a bit with family and friends. At one
point I explained to my septuagenarian dad that while it cost me $3 a minute to talk to him
on my cell phone, it was free when we connected by videohe was amazed.
When I stepped back and thought about it, so was I. Then I closed the app and went outside.
Scott Wharton is VP and GM of Video Collaboration at Logitech.
07.07.17
Heres What To Say When The Interviewer Asks, Do You Have Any
Questions For Me?
No need to feel stuck.
[Photo: monkeybusinessimages/iStock]
BY ALEX (AL) DEATHE MUSE

3 MINUTE READ
Your job hunts moving along, and to prepare for your upcoming meeting with the hiring
manager, youre practicing your answers to all of the most common interview questions.
But, theres one that youre feeling a little stuck onwhat are you going to say when the tables
turn and youre asked: Do you have any questions for me?
While its a great opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation with the interviewer
and yes, show offit can be scary to take the wheel.
Im not trying to make you even more nervous, but I really believe this is an important part
to nail. You want to end strong, and its an opportunity to differentiate yourself from the
other candidates. While most people who interview will be qualified, you can stand out by
asking thoughtful questions that the person sitting across from you will actually remember.
Here are four different types you can ask (so youre sure to have at least one option that
seems like the perfect fit!):
1. ASK ABOUT WHAT MAKES THEIR JOB HARD

Whats a challenge you currently are facing in your role?
How is the company helping you tackle this challenge?
Everyone faces challenges in their jobthats a given. So, its not going to bring the
conversation to a dead halt.
Related: How You Should Answer The 10 Most Common Interview Questions
With that said, interviewers often focus on the positives about the company.
These questions will give you insight into organizational structures and resources that are in
place to help employees perform and execute work. So asking this will help you identify any
red flags during the interview stage.
2. ASK ABOUT A HIGH POINT

Whats a great day like for you?
What achievement here you are most proud of?
This question complements the one above. Just like you may want to learn more about the
obstacles that exist, its also great to learn what excites your prospective colleagues. Itll show
you a range of what to expect if you were to take this role.
Related: 5 Ways Introverts Can Prepare For Job Interviews
Additionally, since most people like talking their successes, itll keep the conversation going
in a positive directionwhich is always a good thing in an interview.
3. ASK ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE WORK

What drew you to your role at [company]?
How do you feel your role furthers the mission?
Every company has some form of overarching mission and vision. In fact, youre probably
preparing to discuss it in your own words.
But this question gets into how this specific employee interprets it and how it impacts their
work on a daily basis. It tells you how they help the organization achieve its goals and
objectivesand gives you a peek into how engaged and impactful employees feel.
4. ASK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY WORK WITH
Who is someone you admire in your company, and why?
What are some things the team does together?
Many of us want mentorsor at the very least role models to look up to and emulate. This
question will give you a sense of the types of leaders who exist at the company, as well as the
skills, experiences, or competencies that others see as valuable.
The second one gives you a glimpse into company culture. Does the interviewer discuss
stand-ups and team projects, and leave it there? Or do they mention team lunches or even a
company softball league? Youre going to be spending a lot of time with your new co-workers,
so its good to know how they interact.
If these havent quite touched on what youd like to ask, we have 51 interview questions you
can bring up, so youre sure to have options you feel good about.
No matter what you choose to discuss, remember its about more than gathering information
on the company, people, and role. Beyond that you want to show off your thoughtfulness.
What you say gives the interviewer a glimpse into the topics that you think are worth
learning more about. So, ask questions you genuinely want to know the answer toand youll
also get points for being sincere.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Muse and is reprinted with permission.
More From The Muse:

3 Job Interview Questions Youll Be Tempted To Ask (But Absolutely Should
Not)
51 Interview Questions You Should Be Asking
Heres Whats Going Through A Hiring Managers Head When You Bomb An
Interview
05.18.17 THE FUTURE OF WORK
Five Skills Youll Need To Lead The Company Of The Future

What worked in the past doesnt work now.
[Photo: Kelvin Murray/Getty Images]
BY JARED LINDZON
4 MINUTE READ
In the traditional corporate model, strong leaders pursued a singular vision through the
strong command of an organization. Today, we live in a time of rapid change, when products
and services often become obsolete overnight, and competition includes startups and
companies in adjacent industriesthe traditional leadership archetypes need not apply.
Instead an entirely new value system is beginning to emerge for the leaders of the future, one
that will continue to grow with the rise of new tools like artificial intelligence, robotics, and
automation.
Theres been a transition from thinking about corporations solely as revenues and profits,
and thinking about the organization in a more inclusive way, says Ernst & Youngs (EY)
global chief innovation officer, Jeff Wong. Clearly revenue and profits are still important,
but the leading companies are starting to think beyond that.
Wong adds that while organizations used to select leaders based on relevant management
experience, there is now a premium on leaders who demonstrate drastically different skill
sets; the ones that experts believe will help organizations navigate a rapidly changing
business environment.
1. THE ABILITY TO THINK OF NEW SOLUTIONS

While leaders of the past were often tasked with executing predetermined strategies,
increasing efficiency, and improving preexisting processes, one of the most valuable assets of
future leaders is their willingness and ability to create something entirely new.
We know the world is changing rapidly, we know that change is accelerating, we know that
when you look at companies and industries that are evolving rapidly that there will be a
series of new opportunities to go after, which will also be a chance to help define the
evolution of their industry, explains Wong.
Wong explains that as industries, processes, and business models are reinvented by
disruptive technologies, the most valuable leaders of tomorrow are those that can shape the
impact of those changes, rather than react to them.
Theyre leaders who can seek out new opportunities, who can deliver those new
opportunities, but can also help redefine their own business into what it needs to be for the
future, he says.
2. BEING COMFORTABLE WITH CHAOS

In an increasingly chaotic business landscape, the leaders who thrive are those who work
well in unknown conditions.
There are systems and processes that have been built up from the past that were fantastic
for that era, but they arent fast or nimble enough to match this pace of change,says Wong.
Leaders who can demonstrate a level of comfort with the chaos that results from reinventing
long-standing processes are better prepared for the challenges that await them in the future,
he says.
3. AN UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNOLOGY
While the leaders of the future wont necessarily need to be the ones writing code, experts
suggest that they will at least be required to demonstrate a robust understanding of the
capabilities, applications, and future potential of emerging technologies.
Information technology is moving from more of a supporting role that creates efficiency to a
differentiating role that will increase effectiveness, says Guo Xiao, the president and CEO of
ThoughtWorks, a global technology consultancy. Corporations are taking tech more and
more seriously, regardless of what industry theyre working in.
Xiao explains that industries as diverse as retail, agriculture, and manufacturing are
increasingly naming technology experts to their advisory boards, while adding more C-level
positions in the information and technology space. These efforts, he explains, are in
recognition of the fact that technology needs to drive core business functions in order for
companies to remain competitive.
IT staff are now sitting in the center of innovation teams, because the company understands
that with ever-changing technologies their business models are facing opportunities to be
disrupted or evolved, he says.
4. HIGH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

In a future that incorporates more artificial intelligence in the workplace, leaders who are
emotionally intelligent will ultimately thrive.
If you think about the assembly line in a very hierarchal organization, it was about
measurement and control, explains Accentures chief technology and innovation officer,
Paul Daugherty. Then we moved to the second generation of management, which was still
about control over sequential processes.
As part of managements ongoing evolution that military-like control over subordinates has
gone from a key leadership value to a competitive disadvantage, suggests Daugherty.
As technology becomes more ubiquitous in business processes, organizations have become

flatter and less hierarchal, he explains. As you have work processes evolving more
organically, its going to be driven by leaders that understand and invest in people.
Daugherty points to five traits of successful future business leaders, each emphasizing traits
that cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence anytime soon. They include accountability,
transparency, fairness, honesty, and an ability to design systems and processes for humans.
5. THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY TOGETHER

With the increasing influence of technology on businesses both within and beyond the tech
industry, the most effective leaders of tomorrow will understand how to delegate between
humans and machines in a way that maximizes the capabilities of both.
The obligation of leaders is to step back and look at not just how you apply AI to the
business, but how you change a process, says Daugherty. Look at the roles that people play
in that process and apply technology that optimizes the value of the people in those roles.
While some look at emerging technologies with fear and anxiety, the most future-ready
leaders are excited to integrate them into their workforce, explains Wong.
The best leaders love the benefits of the two working together, he says. They love AI, they
love bots, they love anything that makes them better, helps them make better decisions, and
helps them see things more clearly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jared Lindzon is a freelance journalist born, raised and residing in Toronto, covering technology,
entrepreneurship, entertainment and more for a wide variety of publications in Canada, the United States and
around the world. When he's not playing with gadgets, interviewing entrepreneurs or traveling to music festivals
and tech conferences you can usually nd him diligently practicing his third-person bio writing skills. More
08.27.14 WORK SMART
Templates And Hints For The Perfect Email For Almost Every Situation
If every email you sent was perfectly phrased and well-received right out of the inbox,
how much time could you save?
[BUSINESS: KAZOKA VIA SHUTTERSTOCK]
BY KEVAN LEE
10 MINUTE READ
Have you ever received an amazing email, one that youd like to print out and pin to your
wall, one that made you grin from ear to ear or slow-clap in appreciation and reverence?
When I come across these gems, I drop them into a Snippets folder. I study them, I swoon
over them, and I borrow bits and pieces of them to send better email.
Now imagine that every email you send is as great as these occasional all-stars you receive.
Impossible? Not at all. Worth shooting for? Definitely.
Related: Six Ways To Write Emails That Dont Make People Silently Resent You
At Buffer, we strive for 100% awesomeness in the emails we send to customers, and that
pursuit of excellence carries over to the emails we send to teammates, colleagues, friends,
and family. We want to send better email, the kind that delivers the intended message plus
the desired emotion.
So Im happy to share some of my sources of email inspiration. These are the templates and
snippets that have caught my attention over the past few months, and which Im hoping to
include in more of my communication in the inbox. Think you might like to try any of these
out in your daily emailing?
AN EMAIL TEMPLATE FOR SHAVING 20 HOURS OFF YOUR WORK WEEK

Author Robbie Abed took to LinkedIn to share a pair of emails that he had used successfully
to shave his workweek from 60 hours to 40 hours.
Here is email number one, which is to be sent on Monday.
Subject: My plan for the week
Jane,
After reviewing my activities here is my plan for the week in order of priority. Let me
know if you think I should re-prioritize:
Planned Major Activities for the week
1) Complete project charter for X Project
2) Finish the financial analysis report that was started last week
3) Kick off Project Xrequires planning and prep documentation creation. Scheduled
for Thursday.
Open items that I will look into, but wont get finished this week
1) Coordinate activities for year-end financial close
2) Research Y product for our shared service team
Let me know if you have any comments. Thank you!
Robbie
The clear intention here is to set the expectation for the week ahead and give a supervisor a
clear understanding of what youre working on.
Then, on Friday, you send a second email, summarizing what you completed during the week
and noting any open items that need further attention or follow-up from colleagues.
Related: The Only Five Email Folders Your Inbox Will Ever Need
The idea here is simple: Set expectations early on in the week and follow through at the end
of the week. According to Abed, this provides clear boundaries on your time, it shows your
supervisor that you are responsible and organized, andif everything goes according to
planit might get you out of the office on Friday having worked zero overtime.
HOW MICHAEL HYATT SAYS NO TO GUEST BLOGGERS

Author and speaker Michael Hyatt gets a lot of email requests for a lot of different things.
One of the most popular requests is for guest blogging either bloggers who wish to submit
guest posts to his site or other sites looking for Hyatt to write for theirs.
Heres how he says no to guest blog pitches.
Dear [name]:
Thanks for your interest in being a guest blogger on my site. I am grateful that you
took the time to write this post and submit it. Unfortunately, I dont think I will be
able to use it.
I have received scores of submissionsmore than I expected. As a result, I am having

to turn down many well-written posts, including yours. Sometimes this is because
the topics overlap or the posts are too general for my audience. Regardless, because
of my time constraints, I cant really provide more detailed feedback.
I wish you the best in your writing endeavors. If you have another post, I would be
happy to consider it.
Kind regards,
Michael
Heres how he says no to invitations to guest blog.
Dear [name]:
Thanks so much for thinking of me as a potential guest blogger. I am honored.
Unfortunately, I just dont have the time. It is all I can do to keep up with my own
blog! As a result, Im afraid I will have to decline your kind invitation.
Again, thanks for thinking of me.
Kind regards,
Michael
Ive been on the sending and receiving end of similar emails several times over the past few
months. I happened to save a favorite thanks but no thanks snippet that I thought sounded
appreciative and kind yet still said no.
Id love to take part and it sounds like an amazing opportunity. Unfortunately Ill
have to pass, as Im currently a little over-committed and wont be able to make the
time right now.
Related: Heres When You Should Use Email Instead Of Slack
EMAIL SNIPPETS FOR SAYING NO

In the examples above, Michael Hyatt said no to guest blogging. Thats a great start. And
what about the scores of other opportunities we may need to turn down throughout the
week?
Elizabeth Grace Saunders, a time coach and trainer, shared a series of snippets for saying no
in a post published on 99U. She seemingly had a no snippet for any scenario. Here are a
few of my favorites.
When you receive perpetual last-minute requests:
I would love to help you out, but I already made commitments to other (coworkers,
clients, etc.) to complete their projects today. It wouldnt be fair to them to not follow
through on what I said I would do. I will be sure to fit this in as soon as possible.
Thanks for your understanding.
When people ask you about everything instead of directly contacting the appropriate
person:
Thats not my area of expertise. I would be happy to connect you with someone who
could best help you solve this problem.
When youre given an exceptionally short deadline:
I know this project is a high priority for you, and if its absolutely necessary for me to
turn something in by that date, I can make it happen. But if I could have a few more
(days, weeks, etc.), I could really deliver something of higher quality. Would it be
possible for me to have a bit more time?
When asked to do something optional that you cant commit to right now:
I appreciate you thinking of me, and Im honored by the request. But unfortunately, I
dont have the time to give this my best right now. I think you would benefit from
finding someone who can devote more time and energy to this project.
Related: How To Cut Your Email Time In Half
7 SIMPLE SENTENCES TO SET BETTER BOUNDARIES

Could it even be as simple as a sentence? Wharton professor Adam Grant has a pretty quick
list of seven different sentences that might work to set boundaries on your work/home life.
Heres the list:
The Deferral: Im swamped right now, but feel free to follow up.
The Referral: Im not qualified to do what youre asking, but heres

something else.
The Introduction: This isnt in my wheelhouse, but I know someone who

might be helpful.
The Bridge: You two are working toward common goals.
The Triage: Meet my colleague, who will set up a time to chat.
The Batch: Others have posed the same question, so lets chat together.
The Relational Account: If I helped you, Id be letting others down.
Of these seven, Ive had a chance to try Nos. 1 and 3 just in the past week. The first felt great,
as it truly was an opportunity I was excited to pursue yet the timing just wasnt ideal.
Sentence No. 3 felt just as good; had I committed, I would have been way in over my head. So
not only was I able to set a boundary, I was able to ensure that the work was completed the
best way possible.
HOW TO SEND THE BEST EMAILS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

In The Customer Support Handbook: How to Create the Ultimate Customer Experience For
Your Brand, Sarah Hatter describes in expert detail exactly which words and phrases should
be used in a modern-day customer conversation (and which shouldnt).
Empty words (do not use):
Feedback
Inconvenience
This issue
That isnt
This isnt
We dont
No
Were unable to
I cant
Full words (use liberally):
Thank you!
Im really sorry
This sucks
I know this is frustrating
Youre right
Thats a great idea!
Let me check and get back to you
Thanks for sharing your idea/thoughts/taking the time to help improve the
product
Magic phrases:
Youre right.
Id love to help with this.
I can fix this for you.
Let me look into this for you.
Ill keep you updated.
Power replies:
Youre right, we could definitely do this better.
Thanks for being open and honest about your experience so we can learn from
it.
I really appreciate you helping us improve our processwe dont want this to
happen again.
I know this is a huge disruption to your day and Im working to get it fixed.
I had a chance to use the disruption line just today with a customer who had a less-than-
ideal experience. Im not sure if my choice of words was what won him over or not. I am
happy to say that he was super pleased to receive my replynothing to sneeze at for a
customer we might have wronged.
WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD OF LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

Chris Gallo at Support Ops has an interesting, applicable way of looking at that all-too-
common wrap-up to the emails we send. How do you end your conversations on email?
Seems like we typically choose one of these cookie-cutter sign-offs.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
If you have any other problems, just let me know.
If there is anything else you need, please let me know.
Compare this with how you end conversations in real life. Gallo points out that none of us
talk this way to our friends and family; why should we talk this way to our beloved
customers?
Perhaps the best example Gallo cites is this one:
If there is anything else you need, please let me know.
Should I need something else? Am I going to need something else soon? Are you
saying that Im needy?
Instead of the stock answers, try these questions, which sound more human and feel more
conversational.
Does this help you?
Did that answer your question? And does it make sense?
Anything else that I can help with today?
(The above example comes from Chase Clemonss Support Ops email guide, which has loads
more examples, if youre interested.)
Ive been trying these new signoffs in my personal emails for the past couple weeks, and I will
say that it can be a little disarming at first. I definitely felt the urge to end with a token
platitude rather than an open-ended Does this help you?
Fortunately, it gets easier the more you use it. And Ive had many meaningful conversations
that I might not have had otherwise.
OUT WITH THE BUTS, IN WITH THE EXCLAMATIONS

This one Ive borrowed from our Chief Happiness Officer Carolyn who wrote about her
removal of every instance of but and actually from her customer support emails.
With but, Carolyn removes the conjunction and replaces it with an exclamation point,
splitting one compound sentence into two simpler ones.
Sentence 1: I really appreciate you writing in, but unfortunately we dont have this
feature available.
Sentence 2: I really appreciate you writing in! Unfortunately, we dont have this
feature available.
With actually, she removes the word entirely, often opting for a new word or phrase to
open the sentence.
Sentence 1: Actually, you can do this under Settings.'
Sentence 2: Sure thing, you can do this under Settings! :)
I was inspired by these examples, so much so that Ive gone to the extreme and attempted to
remove all buts from the blogposts I write and the conversations I have. Its interesting,
even if Im unable to follow through 100% of the time, just to note how often the word might
come up. Im prone to use it more often than I thought.
Ive found that recognizing great emails is one thing, and using them is another. This is why I
started cataloging the emails I love and referring to them regularly when I need inspiration
on what to say. I go with a fairly straightforward copy-and-paste, which can take a bit of
time. The SupportOps crew (and many of our Buffer heroes) use Text Expander to have
snippets available via a keyboard shortcut.
This article originally appeared on Buffer and is reprinted with permission.
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