E-mail overload happens to all of us, so rather just accepting it as a fact of life we can learn to manage it. Across the web you’ll find dozens of methods and software tools which claim to make life easier, many of these are needlessly complex but with the application of a few simple steps you can ease the burden considerably.
Filter spam
Like everyone you are probably inundated with ‘junk’ e-mail from both legitimate sources such as mailing lists and from more dubious sources. These take time to process and waste mental bandwidth so get rid of them. Review your subscriptions to mailing lists and unsubscribe from those you no longer need.
To deal with the more unscrupulous mailers you’ll need to use an automated antispam tool. There are too many of these to mention but your IT department or service provider will offer something that will manage the majority of the problem. If you install a spam filter ensure you keep it updated and check it regularly for false positives.
Assuming that you’ve managed to minimise spam you should now be left with an inbox which contains primarily legitimate messages. Each of these has to be dealt with so I have outlined a series of steps which should help you manage your workload.
Setup Your System
Setup two new folders in your e-mail client, called Action and Archive. In addition to these new folders you should also setup a desktop search service from companies like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and my personal favourite Copernic. These tools automatically index the e-mail on your system and provide comprehensive search tools. This eliminates the need to create a detailed filing structures within your e-mail client, provides enhanced search options and best of all reduces house keeping requirements.
Don’t Do It
I’m not suggesting that you stop using e-mail but rather you stop it using you. Set aside a time to process e-mail, the consensus would seem to be that blocking out two or three slots in day to process mail is best. During other times close down your e-mail client or at least ensure the the new mail notification is off so that it does not become a distraction. The same applies to instant messaging, Blackberries etc. The constant threat of a new message is a distraction and regardless of how disciplined you think you are, you will find yourself checking for new messages when you should be doing other more productive work.
Two Minute Processing
When you finally settle down to a processing session apply the two minute rule. In other words each message gets at most two minutes of triage or action before deciding what to do with it. During this initial session you can do one of four things with each message.
Delete / Dump – spam should be deleted immediately but so should thanks you’s, FYI’s etc. Information only messages which do not require action should also be deleted or dumped into your archive as soon as they have been read.
Delay – based on the two minute rule, if the message is long, or requires considerable thought before action, then file the message in your Action folder for later processing. Depending on the nature of the message you can either return to it when you have finished processing your inbox or flag it for follow up at a later more appropriate date. In this case it can useful to block out a specific time in your calendar to deal with the particular message.
Delegate – if the message is better dealt with by a colleague then pass it on to them. Delete the original if it does not require follow up or move it to the Action folder and set a follow up flag if required. Let the recipient know what actions you require and importantly let them know if and how you need to be updated on progress. This ensures that you only receive the information you require.
Do - if you can action the message quickly i.e. within the two minute rule then do it and then delete or file the original in your archive.
At the end of each session it is important to process your Action folder. Set up appointments with yourself for those items which require extended time and then archive the messages. Review the other items you have placed in the folder and ensure that they are still active and that you have an appropriate action plan in place. Delete or archive those messages which are complete.
I would also suggest you schedule a regular detailed review to ensure that the contents of the Action folder are all still relevant and being managed.
At the end of each session you should have an empty inbox, a well defined list of e-mail action items and hopefully more peace of mind.
photo by clix