How to effectively manage your emails
We all know someone who has thousands of unread emails in their inbox (it may even be you!). A cluttered email inbox, filled with old, unopened or unimportant messages, will not only frustrate you, but it will also prevent you from maximizing your time and distract you from other tasks. Here's how to effectively manage your inbox so you don't miss a thing:
Delete first
The first thing to do when you open your inbox is scan to see what you can delete. Look at the subject line and the sender. Is it junk? Is it a promotional email that you're not going to read? Is it a notice from your co-worker saying in the subject line that they'll be out of office, and there's next to no chance that any additional information in the body of the email will be relevant to you? If so, delete it. By doing this straight away you’re giving yourself more time to focus on the important messages and are in much better shape to start the day productively.
Organise
Although the majority of emails can be deleted, you’ll most likely want to keep any emails related to key areas of the business. Keeping correspondence between yourself and clients can help clarify any miscommunication that you may experience later down the line. Prioritise, group and file emails into relevant folders. There is no right way to do this and it is all down to personal preference, as long as you have a system that works for you that’s all that matters. This will make the messages in your inbox less overwhelming and allow you to find emails easily.
Know when not to email
There are times when talking to someone, either in person or on the phone, is the better option. If you are dealing with a difficult situation, rather than writing a lengthy email which may not get your point across in the right way, it could be worth picking up the phone and having a five minute chat. It also allows you to deal with the situation there and then rather than waiting on a reply. In the long run, this will save you a lot of back and forth over email and make you far more efficient.
Turn off notifications, close emails to focus
Getting a notification about every email you receive can be incredibly distracting from the work you are trying to focus on. Bear in mind that rarely you will need to reply to an email immediately and if it is urgent the person wishing to contact you will probably call you. Similarly closing your email application to allow you to focus on a task can prove very beneficial. However, very few people do this because of the pressure they feel to be constantly up to date on emails and not miss anything.
If you need further advice on how to be more efficient out work, check out the Monster website here.
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