Managing Email Madness – Part Two
Last week, in Part One of our three part blog series, Managing Email Madness, we taught you how to become a better, more efficient email sender. By now, we hope your new techniques for sending email have rubbed off on those around you, but in case you have some resistors, Stever Robbins has a few techniques that you can use when it comes to reading and receiving email
Use a Paper “Response List”
A paper “response list” is a great way to manage your email and your time, as it ensures that your are not only working, but are working productively. Instead of responding to email in the order in which it arrives, create a paper response list as a way for you to triage your incoming mail. When you’re ready to check your inbox, grab a pencil and paper and scan through your messages. Refrain from hitting the reply button just yet, and write down everyone you need to respond to and why. Once you’ve created a “response list,” you can then accurately decide which messages need to be responded to immediately, and which ones could wait a day or two.
Answer Briefly
Although we all like to be thorough, long thoughtful emails may be adding to our workplace stress. Quick responses of a few words or so can convey an adequate amount of information without taking up a lot of your time. By being short and direct, you will save time and also train others to not expect long detailed responses from you.
