Fortunately, it is easier to avoid being buried in an avalanche of email than it is to tame the monster of paper that wants to take over your desk and your life. Most email programs give you tools and this article will show you how to use them to get your email under control.
In the past two articles, we looked at how to get rid of the piles of accumulated paper on your desk and how to keep it from getting buried again. Avoiding the avalanche of incoming email is even easier.
Bar the door
The most important rule to remember in dealing with email, just like in dealing with paper, is to handle each piece only once. The nice thing about most email programs is that you can avoid having to touch some of it at all.
Most email programs have filters or routing rules that you can set. The program follows your instructions to handle certain email in certain ways so you don't have to see it. Typically, you can use it to block email with certain key words or from specific senders. I have mine set to forward any incoming email that contains the word "joke" to a special folder that I only open when I have time. Any that contain "viagra" or "how to make money" or a few others get sent straight to the trash.
As you detect patterns in your incoming email you simply edit the rules or filters to send the material to the appropriate place so you don't have to deal with it.
The boss is coming
You often can use your email program's settings to classify email for you so you can deal with the important things first. Email from my boss gets the title bolded and in red so it stands out in the list. I have a key project I am working on now. Any email with that in the title automatically gets put into a separate folder that I keep open.
Prioritize the rest
I like to use the preview pane at the bottom of my incoming email list. I can quickly scan the email and route any emails that my filters missed or that aren't sufficiently standard for me to define a filter. If it needs an answer, I open it and reply. If I need more information before I can reply, I drag it into my pending folder. I then set a flag to have the program remind me when it's time to take action on that item. Finally, if it contains material I will need to refer to as I do other work, it goes into the reference folder.
Can it
Do you often get emails that ask the same question? You can create canned replies to those frequent questions and build them into signature files in your email program. Then you simply click the reply button to the email, select the appropriate "sig" file, and send.
Once you have sent a reply, there is seldom any reason to keep the incoming message. Delete it. Then use the settings on your email program to routinely empty your trash folder. This setting can be either on a time limit or a volume of files stored.
Manage This Issue
You can avoid the email avalanche. Use the filters, rules, and features of your email program to limit the number of times you have to touch each email. Use them to help you prioritize and deal more quickly with those you do have to touch. Act now if you can. If it has to be put aside for later, use the program's reminder feature to keep you from forgetting items.
Additional Internet resources
You Have To Have An Email Policy - my article about why you need an email policy and how to create one.
Your Boss Is Watching You
More companies are monitoring their employees electronically, including email. Why? What can you do about it?
Heinz Tschabitscher's About Email site has everything you need to know about email programs.
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