Manage Your Email - before it manages you!

Manage Your Email – before it manages you!

 

By Lisa-Marie Stonaha

 

 

When used correctly – Email is a fantastic communication tool! But in today’s fast paced, high tech society, we are becoming very comfortable with email and overuse has occurred. Now our emails are getting lost in the shuffle and our Inbox is overflowing. So what can we do?

 

Below are easy tips to help you manage your Email, before it manages YOU!

 

 

1. Read, Respond, File, or Delete!

 

When checking email use this process. Read the email then decide – should I respond, file, or delete the email!

 

Respond: Determine – can I respond to the email? If so do it, then either file the email or delete it, and move on!

 

File: Create Folders and Subfolders in your email and file your emails. Create Subfolders for projects you are working on, people you work with, etc. Also create a TO DO, FollowUp, or ASAP Folders. This will help you to clear out your Inbox. You know those emails that you leave in there cause you need to come back to them, well they get buried in there and we often forget. So create a folder that reminds you to follow up or a task list item that you need to do so that you remember. Keep your inbox clean and get organized!

 

Delete: we get allot of junk emails, cc’s, reply all’s, etc. Not everything has to do with us – and not everything requires a reply all – so just delete it! Determine if its really relevant for you – if not – delete!

  

2. Stop Being a Slave To Your Inbox!!

 

That little notification box goes off and we immediately stop what we are doing and jump to check it. And Blackberry’s have only made this habit worse! Break out of that habit. Check your email three times a day. Check email first thing in the AM, mid afternoon, and at the end of the day. Then apply the above recommendation of reading, responding, filing, and/or deleting. This will keep you from being a slave to your inbox and help you control when you are checking the email. If its really that important – they will call you. Afraid you are going to miss something – try with checking 5 times a day and work your way to 3. You will find that you really aren’t missing as much as you think you are – and soon you will retrain everyone that you control your email, it doesn’t control you – and they will start to call you if its that important, or even better yet – while they are waiting – they will figure their issue out on their own.

 

 

3. Go for a walk or Pick up the phone!

 

Doing phone training I hear allot – “I prefer to use email” or “No one uses the phone anymore”. Isn’t that even more of a reason to use the phone? In today’s business we are much more likely to hide behind technology vs. face to face. This is causing our communication skills to lack and our inbox to clog. If you find yourself writing a novel or playing ping pong email with someone – pick up the phone or go for a walk. Talking can get you the answer much quicker and easier.

 

 

4. Stop Replying ALL!

 

So show some email courtesy. When you get an email determine – do I really need to reply all? Do I need to respond at all? Do I need to CC the entire department? Or can I just delete or file this email and move on. Too often we get into these one up battles where we have to agree with the person – then the next person has to agree even more, and then I completely agree……you get the point. Stop Replying all and others will thank you. If you feel that strongly about it – get up and walk over to your co-worker and tell them….it will mean more to them.

  

 

5. Keep your emails short.

 

This benefits you and the person on the receiving end of your email, particularly if that person is busy like you.

• Cut out unnecessary words and sentences.
• Address the essential: not everything warrants a response (see the above mention of replying all)
• Use paragraphs liberally. It’s easier to read, and makes your email more approachable
   
• Its contagious – if one person is bulleted or to the point others follow in that lead – and we will have much more concise and clear emails.

 

 

6. Re-read once.

 

You can go back and edit typos in a document, but you only get one chance with emails. It’s important that your meaning and expression is clear, especially when making pitches or networking with other people. If you are struggling with this, then maybe its time to pick up the phone!

 

Also, remember that spell checking is not enough. Typos and mistakes that form other valid words (e.g., lose and loose) will not be corrected by the spell checker. Proofreading is key.

 

 

7. Use your task list.

 

Outlook provides us with a one-stop organizing shopping. We can not only send and file our emails, keep our calendars in tact, have our contacts at our fingertips, but now we can also have our to-do list up to date, send it to others, have them update it, send it back to us, keep track of it, and set up a reminder to pop up and tell us what to do. If you are not familiar with the Task List – get familiar and use it. It’s a great way to keep everything in one source and make sure you are organized and together. Its yet another way to manage that inbox – and keep you on track.

  

8. Find what works best for you and work it.

 

Everyone has a different style and idea of what’s best. Be open to new ideas, but if something is too rigid or too strict for you, adapt it. This doesn’t mean cross off the ideas and stick to what you are doing, but if what you are doing now doesn’t work…. why not try something else. Take the time to get organized and find a process that works for you – then work it. It takes time and dedication at first, but in the end you will be much happier and relaxed and organized! And you will finally control your email vs. it controlling you!