Over the years, my email volume has increased exponentially – keeping up with projects within my organization, communication with the students I teach, Twitter messages, Facebook messages, blog comments. I’m sure your list looks very similar.
This post is part of the series – Get Your Life Back!
Take Control of Your Schedule
4 Tips for Managing Your Calendar More Effectively
Plan Your Year with Your Annual Plan
Create Your Best Week
You Can Keep Up With Your Email
The Secret for Managing Email More Efficiently
Several months ago, I realized I was receiving hundreds of email messages each day and that processing email was requiring a significant portion of my day.
Despite all the current technology and innovative tools available, many people are falling further behind. They just can’t keep up with the enormous volume of messages hitting their inbox.
I, too, realized that my workload was not sustainable. Because I could no longer process hundreds of email messages a day in addition to my other responsibilities.
I knew something had to change if I was going to be more effective in my work and lead my team to be more effective.
I created a simple guide to help me get control of my email inbox. I’ll share it with you in just a moment.
Since email processing was the biggest “time waster” for me, I began by asking, What can I do immediately to save time with email?
Here are several changes I identified right away:
1. Set designated times to review email every day. I began by scheduling 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. I know what you are thinking – I thought it too! When my boss or a client sends me an email, they expect an immediate response! Most of us are simply not that important and the issues are simply not that urgent.
For the few truly urgent items or job functions, spend some time thinking creatively about how you can address those. Get someone to help you – maybe your boss or a client. Ask them for their recommendations – you may be surprised!
2. Send fewer emails. This may be the very reason you are receiving a lot of email – you’re sending a ton! Quit it!
I noticed I was sending quite a few emails to my assistant, direct reports, and a few key colleagues. Instead of filling up their inboxes (and, subsequently, mine), I developed a simple task list to review with each of them during our regular one-on-one meetings. A positive byproduct was that they appreciated the conversations about their projects and the lower volume of email.
3. Unsubscribe from distribution lists and items of little or no value. Ask yourself, When was the last time I found something of value from this list or vendor? If it’s been more than a couple of months, you don’t need it. Get rid of it.
4. Encourage people to not copy (CC) you unless it’s something you REALLY need to know. You have probably worked with that guy who copies you and your boss on nearly everything because he wants you and everyone else to know he’s working. Let him know that you trust him and can catch up with him periodically regarding his projects. Then ask him to reduce his monthly CC quota for you from 100 to about 3!
5. Be directive in the subject line. I learned this tip from Mark Miller, Vice President for Training and Development for Chick-fil-A. Use phrases like No need to reply or Please reply by noon Friday in the subject line (or in the body of the email). The principle here is to get better results, get more specific. In a very short period of time you’ll see a dramatic decrease in volume and higher productivity.
6. Process email quickly. When you sit down to process your email at your scheduled time – keep moving! Read each message once – only once! Not once an hour. Not once a day! Just once.
Then, answer this question: Is this message actionable? If so, there are only three possible actions. I learned these from Michael Hyatt. I handle every email message in one of three ways – and you can too:
1) Discard it. No explanation needed here.
2) Delegate it. Remember, although you may not have an assistant or subordinates, there are many creative ways to get the help you need.
3) Do something with it. The remaining 20% of email items and projects, I handle in one of two ways: First, items that require less than 5 minutes, I handle them right away. Putting them off requires me to think about them over and over and ultimately wastes far more time than the action requires. So I just do it – and get it out of the way. Finishing the quick items also gives me more energy and momentum.
Then, for projects that require more than 5 minutes, I schedule time on my calendar to handle it. I’ve previously written about how to manage your calendar and schedule more effectively.
7. Empty the inbox every day. Is it really possible to get caught up on your email and stay caught up? Yes! I’ve been doing it for years, even as my work volume has increased.
You may not answer every message. However, you can process every message using the tips above.
Let me be clear – there’s no easy fix. Taking control of your inbox requires changing your behavior. You must be willing to look at the challenge creatively and openly and make the investment.
When your email is blowing up, you feel unorganized and out of control. Developing a plan for managing your email becomes an essential survival skill. And making the investment is well-worth the effort.
At first, these actions will seem a little clunky and cumbersome – you’ll have to think through each step. But, you’ll catch on quickly and eventually be able to breeze through your email quickly and efficiently.
Question: What tips have you learned for managing your email? Share in the comments.