| Take back control... | | | | related to email. What happens when you need to |
| If you're reading this, then it can help you join the | | | | find that email again? Well, you start scrolling |
| growing number of people who are taking back | | | | through your inbox (which by now is pretty full) |
| control of their productivity in the face of a major | | | | looking for it. For some of you trying to find |
| challenge - email. The overload of email is draining | | | | information is draining your time the most and can |
| the productivity of our workforce. But the good | | | | be very frustrating. |
| news is there are ways to deal with this | | | | Also, have you noticed how many people don't |
| challenge, and they're simple to apply. All they | | | | know how to put a descriptive heading on their |
| require is a willingness to learn and some practise. | | | | emails? So when you're trying to find it, the |
| This introductory report is designed to teach you | | | | heading is often not a good indicator of what the |
| some basic strategies which you can apply | | | | actual email is about. All you have to go on is the |
| immediately to managing email to increase your | | | | "rough date" it was sent, and the name of the |
| productivity. | | | | sender - but it gets messy and it's time wasting. |
| We're going to cover: | | | | So by now you're probably asking, "If I don't |
| - The biggest, time wasting mistake that most | | | | store emails in the inbox, then where do I put |
| people make with email and how to avoid it | | | | them?" Well, I'm glad you asked. Now is the time |
| - The four step process of how to deal with any | | | | to discuss a very powerful four step process... |
| email to save you time, energy and focus | | | | Strategy number two: |
| These two simple strategies can dramatically | | | | A simple process for managing emails as they |
| improve your productivity. But to get maximum | | | | come into your inbox |
| benefit they also require a certain mindset. You | | | | When an email comes in, there's one of four |
| need to be constantly asking yourself: | | | | actions you can take with it. You can: |
| "How can I improve my results? How can I get | | | | - deal with it straightaway |
| more out of the day without stressing myself too | | | | - put it in the bin |
| much?" | | | | - give it to someone else |
| Don't let yourself get too overwhelmed by your | | | | - get to it later |
| environment. It's amazing to me how many | | | | (By the way, whenever I ask my clients in a |
| people persist with energy draining, time wasting | | | | workshop what they can do with an email, they |
| processes without trying to find an easier way. | | | | all give the same answer loud and clear - DELETE |
| To date, I and my colleagues have helped over | | | | IT! Unfortunately, you can't always do that.) |
| four thousand people deal with this productivity | | | | Now, let's cover these in more detail: |
| issue, and the biggest benefit they feed back to | | | | Deal with the email straight away - well, you |
| us is a greater sense of control over their work. | | | | already know how to do that one. If you have |
| This simple report on the challenge of email | | | | time, and you can do it, then that's great. It's |
| management is one step towards helping you | | | | done and you can get on with the next task. |
| achieve that. | | | | Delete the email - I suspect you're very well |
| A brief overview | | | | practised with this one. You've checked it out, got |
| Remember the good old days... | | | | what you need and now you're happy to trash it! |
| Remember the time when people relied upon | | | | Give it to someone else - now, if you're in the |
| picking up the phone to discuss issues? When | | | | position of being able to do this, it's very handy. |
| "snail mail" was relied upon to write to others? | | | | The issue of tracking what you have delegated is |
| Just two years ago, I was sitting in a meeting | | | | a whole lesson in itself (and forms part of the |
| with one of the senior managers of Australia Post | | | | performance management of your team). |
| when he stated, "If I could ban email from our | | | | However, some of you don't have the authority |
| office, I would." Now, he wasn't saying that | | | | to delegate to someone else. |
| because he saw email as being in competition with | | | | Get to it later - now this one is the real key. |
| Australia Post (although I guess it's possible). | | | | When you defer an email, you're putting it off until |
| Rather, he was in despair that staff | | | | a later time. For most people, their way of doing |
| communication was suffering as people continually | | | | this is to leave the email in the inbox but, as |
| resorted to email to discuss issues and relay | | | | we've discussed, that can be ineffective. |
| information. | | | | In deferring an email, you have two issues to |
| Something is missing here... | | | | consider: |
| Like it or not, email is here to stay. It's doubling | | | | - When will you answer the email? |
| every six months, and if you don't learn to | | | | - Where will you store the email in the meantime? |
| manage it effectively your productivity is going to | | | | Now, the two main software programs used in |
| plummet. Some people spend all day going | | | | corporate Australia to receive email are Microsoft |
| through their emails. | | | | Outlook and Lotus Notes. You may use a |
| But email has shown us something very | | | | different program, but what I'm about to show |
| interesting. It has highlighted a major weakness in | | | | you will work on most applications. |
| our workforce - many people lack the principles | | | | In these programs, you have the folder entitled: |
| of time management and an ability to integrate | | | | "Tasks" or "To Do List" |
| those principles with technology. | | | | Any email you receive that requires you to do |
| Time management principles are terrific, but | | | | something should be put in the tasks folder. When |
| unless you can apply them to the tool you're | | | | you do that, it also gives you a chance to |
| working with (such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus | | | | nominate when you will do it. |
| Notes, or a PDA) - then the benefit is marginal. | | | | *A little tip - when you enter the heading for the |
| In other words, our workforce is being dominated | | | | task, be as descriptive as possible so that you |
| by technology rather then making it serve them. | | | | can know what it's referring to at a glance. |
| Remember how one of the major aims of | | | | So by transferring the email to the "Tasks" folder, |
| technology was to save us time. And in some | | | | the email will be taken out of the inbox and placed |
| areas it has. But in the case of email what it has | | | | where it won't be forgotten. |
| really done is make each individual a target for | | | | This means: |
| more information to be thrown at them twenty | | | | - you don't need to waste time searching for the |
| four seven. | | | | email in the inbox |
| The best part is that thanks to an increasingly | | | | - you don't need to remind yourself to take care |
| litigious society, and a few notable corporations | | | | of it |
| going bust, it's becoming your responsibility to | | | | - you can even set the reminder bell on the task |
| keep these emails just as you would financial | | | | entry to remind you when to do it (don't do this |
| records. That way, when the auditors come they | | | | for all of them or it will be ringing every two |
| have a clean trail to follow so they know who to | | | | minutes) |
| blame. | | | | - you're one step closer to an inbox that is almost |
| In the wake of all these companies crashing, the | | | | empty |
| USA has implemented tough legislation regarding | | | | - you can even attach a priority on the task |
| the storage of email, voicemail and sms texts. | | | | entry so you know in what order of importance |
| That means that the information in a three year | | | | you have to follow up on it |
| old email must be easily retrievable upon request. | | | | Emails you want to keep "just in case" you need |
| Australia is already facing the same issue. | | | | them |
| So you're simply walking targets, and it's your | | | | Now, what about all those emails you want to |
| responsibility. Let's look at the specific strategies | | | | keep "just in case" you need to access them |
| we can use to manage email effectively and | | | | again? Well, they can go straight to a subfolder |
| increase our productivity by up to twenty | | | | just for storing information. In fact, if you're |
| percent. | | | | getting a lot of "CC Mail", you can set up a "CC |
| Strategy number one: | | | | Mail" subfolder to automatically store them. |
| Never, ever, ever, ever, ever store your emails | | | | Then, when you next have a coffee break, you |
| in the inbox after you have read them. | | | | can go through the CC Mail to catch up on the |
| Imagine you get home from work and you go to | | | | information you've been sent. But truthfully, 85% |
| the mail box. Let's say there are five letters the | | | | of the emails we are cc'd on require no action at |
| post man has dropped off for you (most of | | | | all. |
| them are bills). You pull them out of the mail box | | | | This applies to every email you're sent |
| and open them up. | | | | From now on, every time you receive an email, |
| As you read them, you quickly decide which letter | | | | instead of leaving it in the inbox, you can ask |
| to throw in the bin (not recommended with your | | | | yourself: |
| bills, they'll just keep mailing you) and which ones | | | | -Can I delete it? |
| you want to keep. | | | | -Can I delegate it to someone else? |
| Let's say you throw two of them in the bin, and | | | | -Can I deal with it now? |
| you have three letters remaining that you need | | | | -Can I get to it later by putting it in the tasks |
| to keep. | | | | folder? |
| Now let me ask you a question. | | | | Email Protocol |
| Do you put those three letters back in the mail | | | | Email is still very new for some of us, and we're |
| box? | | | | still figuring out the rules as we go along. One |
| Of course not! That would be silly. If you did that, | | | | suggestion that will help your organization is to |
| you would have trouble finding them again. The | | | | create a list of email protocols. It can include |
| post man wouldn't be able to fit tomorrow's | | | | areas like when not to send an email, how to |
| letters in the mail box, it wouldn't make sense. | | | | address it, no use of capital letters since it comes |
| Yet what do ninety five percent of people do | | | | across as shouting (don't assume anything when it |
| after they read an email? | | | | comes to what people actually know about email |
| Answer: they leave it in the in-box. They'll deal | | | | protocol. |
| with it later. Now this is fine if you have about | | | | Most importantly, you put in place the |
| five emails in your inbox. But an email takes up | | | | expectations of what is appropriate for the usage |
| only one line of text on your computer screen, | | | | of email and what is not. |
| which means it can build up very quickly. Before | | | | These are areas that - if adopted company wide |
| you know it, you have thirty, fifty, one hundred, | | | | - will help the overall management of email for all |
| two hundred emails sitting in your inbox. Just | | | | the staff. This is critical for achieving a gain in |
| glancing at them gives you a headache. | | | | your productivity across the whole organization |
| The biggest inbox I ever saw! | | | | (and its stakeholders). |
| The most I've ever seen with a client is 12,000 | | | | Finally... |
| emails sitting in their inbox. She was part of the | | | | Obviously, there are a whole lot more techniques |
| finance team in the company, and she wanted to | | | | you can use in managing your productivity with |
| keep every email "just in case" she needed it. | | | | Outlook or Lotus Notes (or whatever email tool |
| Do you think she might waste time she doesn't | | | | you use). That needs a whole workshop to cover. |
| need to just trying to find the emails? | | | | But hopefully you can see the benefit of applying |
| What I want you to do is treat your inbox as if | | | | this simple process to every email that is sent to |
| it's your own personal receptionist. The | | | | you. |
| receptionist greets all the visitors in the lobby, and | | | | If you find yourself improving your management |
| then tells them where they need to go. They | | | | of email with any of these techniques (or you |
| direct the traffic. But they don't want all the | | | | create your own) then by all means share your |
| visitors staying in the lobby with them because it | | | | helpful hints with your colleagues. The more an |
| gets too crowded. | | | | office is effectively using email, the more |
| It's the same deal with your inbox. If you leave | | | | productive it will be. |
| your emails in your inbox, what happens is it gets | | | | Lastly, if you're reading this and have any further |
| very crowded very quickly. You might be familiar | | | | queries or feedback, then feel free to send me |
| with the message, "You have no space, please | | | | an email (I know, it's a good chance for me to |
| delete files to make new space." That's because | | | | practise what I preach). I'd he happy to help with |
| you don't have a system of clearing your emails | | | | any queries you have, and I'd love to hear |
| out regularly. | | | | whether this has been of any help. |
| Beware of a big time waster | | | | Til I hear from you next - good luck. |
| This brings us to one of the biggest time wasters | | | | |