Wow! What a statistic! That’s an attention-grabbing headline from an article on Forbes to amplify leadership stress—especially for someone who just signed off a 16-week email comms campaign for an upcoming digital transformation.
Digging deeper: Is email fatigue a real threat to change success?
Email is a vital tool in most change delivery communication plans, so at ChangePlan, we decided to dig deeper into the stats to understand more and determine if we could do anything to prevent this email fatigue.
The first red flag: 120+ emails a day
The first alarming statistic is that most corporate employees receive more than 120 emails daily.
What our Change Manager—and Microsoft MVP—had to say
We asked our Change Manager, who is also a Microsoft MVP, what she thought about this.
Here’s what she said:
I’d challenge that amount. And, the person feeling email fatigue probably already spent 90 minutes on TikTok doom scrolling today…
Start with helping people manage their inboxes
As a Change Manager, she outlined the first step: equip people with better email hygiene. Here are her top three suggestions:
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Unsubscribe ruthlessly
Clean out the junk—especially from marketing lists and product updates. -
Use inbox rules and wizards
Auto-sort or delete irrelevant system updates and non-urgent content. -
Turn off notifications
Avoid constant distractions by checking emails in bulk a few times a day.
But what about the emails being sent?
Managing incoming emails is only half the battle. Managers and project teams can also reduce the volume of emails being sent. Here’s how:
Switch to smarter channels
Explore tools like Teams, Slack, Viva, or WhatsApp for faster interactions. Just be sure to set expectations around appropriate use. At ChangePlan, we use a pulse check feature that lets impacted users give feedback without needing yet another email.
Collaborate across change initiatives
If employees are receiving project emails from five different teams, it’s time to coordinate. A single, combined update can go a long way. ChangePlan helps teams see and align overlapping changes across the business.
Push less, pull more
Rather than pushing information via email, create centralized hubs where people can self-serve updates when it suits them. SharePoint and other intranet platforms are great places to house content like guides and videos.
Final thoughts: Email fatigue is real, but not unbeatable
Like many change headlines, “email fatigue” is part truth, part exaggeration. With a little change management thinking, leaders can avoid risk, support overwhelmed employees, and build better habits. And that’s exactly why change managers are priceless.
