Getting your inbox under control: How to Master that inbox!

Microsoft PowerPoint - Under Control Email Presentation for download i4.ppt [Compatibility Mode]

Getting your inbox under control: How to Master that inbox! Workshop

Getting Your Email Under Control: How to master that inbox!

www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk

Overview

Attitudes towards email (myths and realities) Sending fewer and better emails Managing your inbox Emails as records Some handy hints Dealing with the backlog: A way forward

Confession time!

Roughly how many emails do you have in your inbox?

Who would be happy for the contents of their inbox/sent items to be made publicly available?

If not, why not?

Some things to bear in mind Emails belong to your employer, not you Emails are legally enforceable Emails are legally disclosable Email is insecure and easily intercepted Emails are difficult for users to manage

Leads to errors Users receive too many emails

Leads to errors Email is a communication technology; not an

information management tool Email is a disruptive technology www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk

Suitable use of work email?

Notifying all staff of the weekly canteen

Agreeing a contract

Transferring documents

Arranging a meeting

Ordering a Christmas present

Circulating jokes

Discussing the medical condition of a member

of staff

Applying for another job

Suitable UnsuitableMaybe

But there may be better alternatives

Email is a very useful tool, but remember

It is not the only tool we have

It is not always the best tool

How to reduce the number you send

Using alternative technologies

Ordering a Xmas present Agreeing a contract Applying for another job Transferring documents Arranging a meeting Weekly canteen menu Circulating jokes Discussing the medical

condition of a member of staff

Home email account?Hard copy?Home email account?Shared network drive/Drop box?PhoneIntranetHome email account/pub?Phone/Face to face meeting?

The benefits of reducing the number of the emails you send

Easier for colleagues to manage

Less chance of mistakes being made

Gets the best out of email

Virtuous circle everyone benefits

Good titling?

Stick to one subject per email

Avoid addressing more than one unrelated subject in an email

Makes accurate titling impossible Makes appropriate filing and management difficult Makes it difficult to follow the audit trail Increases the risk of inadvertent disclosure

Appropriate use of message status symbols

Use High Importance very sparingly For messages needing immediate attention Usually for single recipients (or a small number)

Remember the Low importance flag also

Careful use of group messages, CC and BCC Think carefully who really needs to see your message Dont be lazy and select all staff when in reality it only

applies to a few Only CC a user into a message when it is important that

they are aware of what is being discussed, but without them needing to play an active role

E.g. keeping a line manager in the loop Think very carefully before using BCC

Can easily be viewed as sneaky and underhand

Managing your inbox

What problems have you encountered trying to manage the emails you receive?

Its time to rethink the purpose of your inbox!

From this To this

The benefits of structuring your inbox

Sub-folders keep all related emails together

Keeps your inbox clear and focused on its proper purpose

Allows integration of email into the wider information to which it relates

Makes it easier to make consistent management decisions

How to structure your inbox

Exact procedure may vary according to specific email applications

Highlight the inbox

Right-click and select New Folder

Re-title the new folder

Replicate your main filing system

Try to reflect your main filing system Makes it easier to integrate relevant information Makes consistent management easier Makes it easier for others to find information if

required But

Dont follow it slavishly (i.e. only include those areas that are relevant)

Be aware that some email systems do not allow you to create further sub-folders

You may need to shorten folder nameswww.jiscinfonet.ac.uk

Dont forget your sent items! Often overlooked but as important as your inbox

Without active management of your sent items you will: Quickly fill your email quota Store important information separate to the other information to

which it relates Risk losing important evidence through inadvertent deletion

Treat it in the same way as your inbox Clear it each day by moving items to the relevant subject folder Delete the rest

Deleting emails

Airline e-ticket for journey to

conference

FOI request

Message to HR requesting a

transfer

Confirmation of project

funding

Link to a report on the web relevant to your subject area

Notification of closure of the

car park

Email with copy of minutes of meeting

attached

Reminder of Christmas

closure dates

Keep long term

Delete once read

Keep short term

What makes an email record

Exactly the same properties as you would look for in other types of record

Emails that: Are evidence of a transaction Document what was done, why, by whom and when Form part of the audit trail Contain unique and valuable information

Integrating email records with other records Your inbox (and its sub-folders) is a silo

You should transfer emails likely to be of use/significance to others as soon as possible

Should be stored alongside like information E.g. in shared file server

Exactly when this should occur will vary according to the type of email in question and its usage

Immediately? At project closure? Annually? Once approved?

Other things to consider

What is the record?

What do you need to capture?

Some handy hints

Use Rules and Alerts to automate the management of your emails according to predefined rules.

Such as forwarding to specific folders based on sender, title, word or other characteristic

Some handy hints

Use colour to organise your inbox

Ensure that messages from a certain person (such as your boss) stand out by receiving them in a different colour

Highlight those messages that are only addressed to you

Can all help you to keep on top of your inbox

Thats all very well but Ive got 3000 messages in my inbox at the moment

Start with this new approach for all new messages from tomorrow onwards

Tackle the backlog in a gradual, realistic way Make a decision as to whether to keep or destroy every

message over 12 months old as a one off batch process Seek advice within your institution on this At the beginning of each month review the contents of that

months emails for the previous year and sort accordingly A 12 month process! Remember your sent items!!

Any questions?

Good luck!!

Getting your inbox under control: How to Master that inbox!

Education