Method for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of instant messaging between users

A method for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of instant messaging between users on any computing devices. One aspect of the invention is to automatically identify the status of an intended recipient and transform the details into a meaningful summary status which will be displayed to the sending user. Another aspect of the invention is to mitigate interruptions to a recipient by delaying the receipt of the message based on particular rules. Another aspect of the invention monitors the instant messaging activity of a user for efficiency and then suggests appropriate actions to improve the efficiency. The monitoring is based on measurements taken periodically and a set of rules can be used to detect inefficiencies. Once inefficiency is detected, an instant notification can be sent to the user or periodic reports can be sent to the user, management or any other entity.