Managing Emails
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Email is a very useful form of communication between businesses, but if it is not handled properly it can become a burden. Becoming pro-active in your approach to email management by establishing a daily routine to ensure it is managed effectively will prevent it from taking over your workload.
A key factor to ensure you are in control of your emails (rather than your emails being in control of you) is to allocate specific time slots every day to check them. This will leave the times in between free for getting your work done.
When you do finally check them (at a time when you are able to handle them completely without having to come back to them later, which results in double handling), you will find your emails easier to manage if you are logical about what needs doing. Typically the more emails you have in your inbox, the more you will feel pushed to do something about them, so don’t leave them in there for any longer than you need to.
Create some folders to file away those emails you need to keep, just as you would for any paperwork you are sent or come into contact with. Organisation is the key to keeping on top of your emails, before they get on top of you. It may take a while to get your folders organised the way that works for you, but it’s worth persevering as you’ll notice the difference when it does work. A good guideline when establishing your filing system is to use the same logic you use for filing your computer files and your filing cabinet. That way your system will be easier to follow.
Just as you try to handle each piece of post you receive as little as possible – for example, you either bin it, read it and deal with it, or put it aside to deal with later – you should do exactly the same with your emails. Those that need a very quick reply should be dealt with straightaway. Delete those you don’t need – again, straightaway.
And if you consistently receive unwanted emails from a source – tell them to take you off their mailing list or you will continue to have their emails clogging up your system and wasting your time.
If you need to keep an email for some reason then file it away in the appropriate folder. Those that are important and need to be answered once you have all the information you need should be flagged so they aren’t forgotten.
Don’t be tempted to check your emails more than twice a day if you can possibly help it. Emails are an immediate form of contacting someone – and unfortunately lots of people now think that they should be answered immediately as well. Don’t fall into this trap – take control of your day and your life by organising your emails and checking them only when it suits you.
So long as you remain in control of your emails, this vital tool will continue to be a boon to businesses everywhere. Just don’t let it get the upper hand.
