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Email Killing Your Productivity? Here Are 9 Ways to Fight Back.
Ignore your inbox when you wake up
Responding to emails as soon as you receive a notification gives others the impression that you’re at their beck and call. It also prevents you from reflecting on your own priorities for the day.
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Empty your inbox daily
- Do. If the email is actionable and takes under two minutes, then do the task ASAP.
- Delegate. Forward the right tasks to the right people.
- Defer. Reply to the message at a better time.
- Delete emails that are not important or that you can delegate.
- File. Add messages that contain information you will need to your archives.
Stop CC’ing everyone
To avoid filling the email box of staff members, only CC the relevant parties. Ask your team to respond to you individually instead of using the reply-to-all button.
Check your email in batches
Batchers, who set aside specific chunks of time to work through their email, are significantly more effective when it comes to getting things done. Research shows that they’re less stressed as well.
Leverage your staff
Have someone screen your messages. They can separate the important messages from the less important. You can hire a virtual assistant to handle this job.
Another option would be to use tools to sort and declutter your inbox so that only important emails come through.
A new operating model for emails
Create a new operating model for your organization’s emails. This should include:
- Knowing when to email vs. communicating in other ways.
- Embracing other platforms for collaborating and communicating. Use internal messaging services to connect with your team quickly.
- Ban “reply all.”
- Share email productivity tips that you have found successful.
Fine-tune your email etiquette
- Have a clear and specific subject line to let the recipient know what the email is about without opening it.
- Always be a professional. Never write with emotion or overuse exclamation marks.
- Proofread. Ensure that the message is brief and makes sense to avoid any misunderstandings.
- Include a call-to-action. With a clear direction, they won't have to respond with a series of follow-up questions.
- Add a signature with your contact information.
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Key Ideas
Email and productivity
More than one-quarter of a worker's day on average is spent answ...
Set aside time
... to read and respond to email. Don’t leave your email program open all day long. Alerts from incoming messages can interrupt your work flow. Instead, schedule specific blocks of time throughout the day for checking your email.
You might even try marking your calendar and setting your availability to “busy.” If necessary, turn off your cellphone and shut your office door to prevent interruptions.
Take action immediately
- browse the inbox for emails that can be immediately deleted (spam or promotional emails). Then select messages that don’t require a response and delete or archive them.
- Don’t let important emails sit in your inbox for days. Unless you’re on vacation, respond within 48 hours. Reply to the sender as soon as you’ve read his or her message.
- If you’re unable to respond immediately, communicate to the sender that you received the message and will be in touch shortly. Set a deadline and follow up.
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The Zen Master's Guide to Email Productivity | Process Street | Checklist, Workflow and SOP Software
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Key Ideas
Determine What The Sender Needs From You Asap
Ask yourself:
- What’s the meaning and the value of the message?
- What action does this message require of me?
Suggested Email Structure
- Greeting
- Pleasantry
- How you got their details, call back and reason for email
- Body Topic: Situation, Benefit, Call to Action
- Closing line
- Signature
Habits For Efficient Email Processing
- Do – If it’s actionable, execute the task and archive.
- Delegate – Forward it on.
- Defer – Decide to do it later (snooze it until a concrete time).
- Delete – If possible, do it to reduce your inbox.
- File – If necessary, tag it and set a reminder for later to process items in that tag.
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Adopt GTD Methodology in Email
think of every email you get as either something you need to take action on, track, or refer to later.
Every time you open a conversation, decide right away what to do with it. D...
Create an Email Productivity System
There’s no “definitive” system. The best framework is the one that works for you. Ideally, it should model your work style, supporting the way you work. Bonus points if it’s low-maintenance, fast to set up, and adaptable as your work changes.
Some people like to use folders with specific actions (do, delegate, reply), while others prefer the deadline-driven approach (today, tomorrow, next week).
Power Up Your Email with Plugins
Some examples:
- Undo Send: for when you accidentally press the send button.
- Canned Responses: create a template that you can reuse with canned responses.
- Send and Archive: Automatically archive an email after replying to it using the send and archive button.
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