Manage your email (not the other way around).
Just like the phone in Tip #3, your email is ALSO a convenience tool! And don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise!
Efficiency expert and author Sally McGhee says, “The volume of email isn’t really the issue; how you process and organize the volume is.”
If you tend to open messages, scan them, close them, and move on to the next message without taking any action, you’ll quickly become overwhelmed with email.
But you already know that, right?
Instead, use the Four D’s to help you manage your Inbox:
D – Do It
D – Delete It
D – Defer It
D – Delegate It
Using these four quick rules, you’ll easily be able to manage the email coming in each day. Check out the quick video tip I made about this, too!
A bigger challenge – stop obsessively checking email. How about 3 times a day and that’s it? You train yourself to be efficient handling it, and you train others that you only respond three times a day.
Does that sound too structured and unresponsive for you?
Stop a minute and compare it to how you’re probably “managing” email now: you check it obsessively, don’t take action, plan to get to it later but maybe never do, right? If that’s your habit, I guarantee you’re not being responsive – immediately or ever.
Sounds to me like a little structure *just* might be a better solution.
What do you think?
If you’re managing your email very efficiently – ESPECIALLY if you receive more than 75 messages a day, feel free to comment below and tell us what works for you!
Happy D’ing!
if you are keeping an email – always change the subject to a VERY specific title so it is easily recognized by you.
Craig – this is a SUPER tip and one that helps with maximum efficiency for you, anyone you might delegate to and for the person you are conversing with. Thanks for commenting!
Angie