Email Management

In the last post, we covered the overall need for an effective process to control time. Failure to do so puts the control into the hands of others and their time.

Today we will look specifically at email and it's impact on your time and productivity. One of the biggest challenges that we face daily is getting control of the Inbox.  And do not kid yourself, it is an enormous task to complete.

In most cases, your inbox is out of control! If you have mail on a corporate server, how many times have you been in "Email Jail". In other words, your mailbox is full. No more email in or out until you begin to clean it out. Trust me, and I speak from personal experience, having to spend hours going through email just for the sake of having access to your email is far from being a productive use of your time.

So as we did a bit deeper, I have some questions for you to answer. How many total items do you have in your inbox? For those using Outlook, look on the bottom left and you will see an item count. Is it 20? 50? 100+? Or are you in the thousands?

How many of you use the Inbox as your to-do list?

How do you feel with several pages of email in your mailbox? IS scrolling to the end time consuming? Do you have to use the search function to find the email that you need NOW?

Yikes! Is that really what email can do to you? Surely you are exaggerating. Not so. The average email user has hundreds of emails sitting in the Inbox. That creates STRESS! Fixing this by moving items is not a long term fix, but it is a short term remedy. So lets start there.

First, do not use the Inbox as the catch-all folder! Your first goal will be to clear your Inbox daily. To to so will require you to schedule uninterrupted time to process it. Depending on your volume of emails, you may allocate time three to five times a day. Four is best but be flexible. Remember, your single focus will be on processing the email.

Read the items once! And then decide...
Do it now - if you have the information requested, get it done!

Delegate it - Is there a member of your team that more readily has the information (or the time) to respond? If so, are they not the right person to address the email? Sure they are.

Defer it - are the actions required in the email due NOW, or in the immediate future? If so, you handled it through one of the above choices, either Do It Now or Delegate. If it is not time critical or has a number of actions that occur across days...Defer.

Delete it - you read the email and it is either not pertinent to your functional area, is informational only and no action needs to be taken, or it just might be SPAM! So read it and then get rid of it! It's the big X on the top of the ribbon panel for those not familiar with deleting email! :-)

You will need to create folders that you can store action items that were deferred, for important documents that you may need to refer to, and for tracking purposes. Careful planning here saves time in the future. Don't just create 100's of folders so that you can get the Inbox cleaned up. That defeats the purpose.

Set up "Rules" for your Inbox. Outlook has the capability to filter, sort, and organize emails into folders that were set up. Some examples of rules to be set up... junk mail, Cc mail (these are informational, right? If you were to respond, you should be in the "To" address line.

Sound easy? It can be but a few things to consider.

Outlook is not set up to be an effective tool  right out of the box. It requires some changes to how Outlook looks and feels.

There are action steps to be taken on your part once you have Outlook (or another email platform) settings changed. Outlook is a tool. It is not the sole answer.

Discipline. The best tools in the world are not worth 2 cents if you don't effectively use them.

That's the overview of email. Next we will cover just what steps that you will take to accomplish the actions above.

Welcome to MakeTimeWork4U

Welcome to the first installment of my blog. I hope to cover many areas of time management, sharing ideas and best practices, and answering questions. I hope to create content based upon what you want, need, or have interest in. Join in on the action, discuss, offer ideas, and request topic specifics at the MakeTimeWork4U group on LinkedIn. MakeTimeWork4U LinkedIn Group

Time Management – what is it?

To properly define time management, we must first identify what it is NOT. While it may be obvious to some, time management is not a calendar, a To Do list, a notebook, a software application, or a PIM (Personal Information Manager). Those are all tools that aid and assist you in managing your time by keeping your information in one place. And one place is important and we will discuss that further.

While many mistake the tools as Time Management, remember, all are inanimate objects. Each does nothing without input from the human being using it! And without a sound methodology upon which to base the use, these tools rob more of the precious time that you are trying to recover or gain control over.

Are there days when you feel like this?

Well, enough of that! You get it, right? So to ask again, what IS time management? In theory, it is a discipline and a behavior. It is a conscious focus on time and productivity and taking direct and specific steps to take control.

It is a process that one applies to organize the planning process, establish and manage priorities, more effectively communicate with others (and track that communication), and organize the information that you need in a manner that becomes readily available to you.

The communication can be verbal (in-person or over the phone) or written. In our current culture, the written format of communication far outweighs that of the verbal. And email is the number one method of communication.

Effective and continuous application of the process will lead to some relief from the heavy workload stress that we all encounter on a daily basis. Properly using the tools available, and there is no one right tool, will become a valuable tool in your arsenal. 

What is the best time management concept to use (and be trained in)?

There are many organizations that offer some type of productivity/time management trainings. Some of the more recognized are those offered by Franklin Covey ® and Priority Management ®. Both offer programs that utilize software applications such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes, and well as device specific offerings for use on Apple, Android, and BlackBerry. The one that is ultimately the best for you is going to be the one that you will use and adopt.

I have been trained in both Covey and Priority Management programs and both are excellent offerings. I have chosen to utilize the “Working Smart with Outlook” program offered by Priority Management. That does not mean that the Covey offering is inferior. I believe that they have equal footing and I merely choose one over the other based on personal preference.

Regardless of if you choose Priority Management, Franklin Covey, or any other recognized vendor, the most important thing is to USE the tools and techniques and develop the discipline needed to control your time. Do so and you control your time. Otherwise you will let time control you. That will lead to stress, frustration, lower productivity, and in some cases, health issues. You cannot burn the candle at both ends forever. And there will ALWAYS be more work to be done.

I’ll finish this segment with a real world example of the results of successfully applying the principles of a good time management program. In the 8 years that I have used the techniques and tools of the Priority Management training, I have not missed 1 deadline. I have not missed completion of any task. I have far exceeded the productivity levels that I had achieved previously. And I have been able to free up time in my day to handle the unexpected without creating undue stress. And if I can do it, so can you!

Take control of your time and RELAX!

Coming up next – Email Best Practices