Here it is, another Monday! Here’s our BEST ideas around managing email so far.
#1. If you can, check email only at designated times. Email can be a total time suck if we’re not careful. Making it your SOP to check email at only 10am, 1pm and 4pm will help you make a LOT more progress on your actual work. Why do we suggest 10am and not the minute you walk in the door of your office? Because surely you KNOW what your number one priority is – and email will only serve to delay that (more than once if you’re not careful). Finally, be sure to TRACK how much time you spend on email throughout the day – knowing where our time sucks are is a key to eliminating them.
(We like our time tracking tool the best, of course, and to support you all, please grab the free version of our App or our 21-day desktop trial from our website – http://OfficeTime.net)
#2. Be smart in how you communicate. I’m not saying to be unfriendly at all, but I try not to create open ended “chatty” conversations by email (or even in life). Getting sucked into a 20-minute “How’s it going” can mean 20 minutes less with my little girl at the end of the day. So, limit your use of questions when you’re short on time. Instead of “How are you this morning,” try the equally friendly comment: “It is so nice to see you today!” This will stop email back and forth in its tracks.
How do you use OfficeTime? Let us know – or share your own best time management tips – and get featured in our blog!
Time. The real commodity.
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