While email is a great tool for facilitating communication, it can sometimes becomes counter-productive because we feel the need to spend so much time managing our e-mails.
So here is a list of suggestions, gleaned from various sources, that we hope you will find helpful.
Check your e.mails several times a day, just to check for anything urgent, and perhaps delete 'rubbish', but only have one session in the day when you really sit down and deal with them. Set a time limit for this session.
Consider using the OHIO method (only handle it once).
Set up a set of folders and sub-folders to move things into so that they don't all sit in your Inbox, and you can find them when you need to
Maybe one of your folders could be 'reply by the weekend'
Use the star system to identify priorities
Try and use the 80/20 rule - weed out the 80% that aren't important and concentrate on the 20% that are. If its important, and you've weeded it out by mistake, it will sort itself out eventually
Don't be afraid to press 'Delete'
Think 2, 3 or even 4 times before using 'reply all'
Similarly, think hard about using a group email, if it is only actually relevant to one or two people in the group
Ruthlessly unsubscribe from things that you don't actually read
Have a good clear out of your e.mails occasionally (in box and sent mail), deleting and archiving things as required - maybe try and get to 'Inbox Zero' occasionally (i.e. no emails in your inbox at all)
Try using the 1 minute rule. If you can create a reply within1 minute, reply to it immediately and archive it. If you think it is going to take longer, move it to a 'pending' folder and come back to it when you have thought about it and have time to respond properly
Disable social media notifications
Add a note to the subject title to help recipients judge its importance - e.g. URGENT, FOR ACTION, FOR INFORMATION ONLY
Do let us know if you have any tips of your own. info@sustainableharboroughcommunity.co.uk
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