Getting Your Emails Under Control

withGerry Devine

Practice Manager Adviser

It’s All His Fault...........

Drowning in emails?

Flood of emails

Volume is increasing

Unorganised chaos

Needless stress

Keep calm it’s only an email

• A good systematic approach is critical• Too many in your inbox = needless stress and

feeling overwhelmed• Same challenges as managing a physical tray

I can’t see the wood for the trees

The Big Challenge

• Empty regularly• Schedule in read and work• You’ll feel psychologically unburdened• More in control• Remember an inbox is a reflection of other

people’s priorities and not yours

The Basics• Use the delete key

- Get rid of what you don’t need• File

- Develop a simple storage system- If you are ‘a when in doubt keep person’ – fine but store rather than clog up your inbox

• Complete the under two minutes ones- Deal with anything that will take less than two minutes with one touch at the first time of

reading• Organise emails that require action and follow-up

-Create ‘action’ and ‘waiting for’ files

This Simple Systematic Approach

‘Inbox Zero’

• Your inbox is NOT where your emails should be stored

• It is a temporary holding place• Processed and read emails are NOT in your

inbox they are ‘somewhere else’• Each time you process an email your goal

should be to have a zero inbox count

Folder Structure

• The workflow approach to email management requires that you create three folders:

• All emails go in here that would take longer than two minutes to respond toReply

• All emails go in here when you are waiting for a response or want to

Waiting

• All other emails go in here that you may want to be able to access later

Archive

The Two Minute Rule

• Longer than 2 minutes > ‘Reply’ folder• Do not read the same email more

than once• Those who need a quick response get

it and you schedule in time for those that need more attention

• Handling emails as you receive them lacks any prioritisation and is very inefficient

Email Management Workflow

The ‘Twice A Day Rule’Key to email management is discipline

This gives time in-between checking ‘to get things done’

1• DON’T look in your inbox every few minutes

2• Schedule in a morning and afternoon review

3• Review ‘waiting for’ folder if no response received within 48hrs send

brief reminder and move folder to archive once response received

Keep Calm

ANDManage your emails before your emails start to manage

you.