Productivity Tip: All e-mail, all the time
Sound like the slogan for a local radio station: All hits, all the time? You can easily turn off the radio, but it isn't so easy to turn down the volume on non-stop e-mail. Even though e-mail can be an effective tool for communicating, it can become counterproductive when you feel the system is beginning to control you.
If you feel that e-mail controls more of your time and energy than you’d like, there are ways you can manage it. Although everyone works differently, and you’ll need to discover the methods that work best for you, here are some effective techniques for gaining control over your e-mail.
- Turn off automatic notifications
Any alerts that notifiy you of a new message should be turned off: You won’t be distracted and interrupted by constant pop-ups, beeps, or chimes. - Clean out your inbox
Make a resolution to devote an hour or so every day to respond to or delete a message that is less than 3 months old. The issue in a message older than that have most likely has been resolved, so these messages can be deleted without much risk. - Follow the “touch it only
once” method
Originally, time management experts supported the “touch it only once” method for paper mail. However, the same principles apply to e-mail. Basically, you have four options when you receive a new message:- Delete it.
- Reply to it if responding takes less than 2 minutes.
- Forward it if necessary to as few people as possible. (Ideally, forward to only the person who needs to follow through with any action items).
- File it only if necessary.
- Set time limits
Set a time schedule for when you’ll check your mail, such as every 15 or 20 minutes. If a message is urgent, the sender will most likely call you anyway. - Use the phone
Instead of writing a lengthy message (which takes time for you to write and the recipient to read), pick up the phone and call. Many issues can be resolved quickly through a brief telephone call. - Follow e-mail ettiquette
Follow e-mail ettiquette to decrease confusion between you and your correspondents:- Write a subject line that is clear and to the point.
- Send a message only to those who absolutely need to know/take action on its contents.
- Avoid sending "thank you" messages unless absolutely necessary.
- Other tips
You might want to consider some of these additional techniques for saving time:- Remove your name from list serves.
- Set up an automatic meeting scheduler.
- Educate coworkers about e-mail productivity tips.
- Learn the options available within your e-mail client for filtering out spam and other unwanted mail.
You can find thousands of web pages devoted to effective e-mail management and strategy. The five sites listed below can help get you started.
