8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 1/70

Managing Email Productivity

Indianapolis Productivity Summit

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 2/70

AgendaE-Mail is Broken

The Shortcut Problem

A New PerspectiveTestimonial

Rethinking Email

Freedom from Email

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 3/70

E-MAIL IS BROKEN

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 4/70

Email is Broken: Unfathomable Quantities

Drinking from the Fire hose, UHF , 1989

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 5/70

Email is Broken: Endless Advertisement

95% of All Email is Spam, ArsTechnica.com, 2007

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 6/70

Email is Broken: Bottomless Reminders

Email for every possible reminder.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 7/70

Email is Broken: Information Overload

Giving up seems like a viable option

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 8/70

Email is Broken: Multiple Conversations

How many conversations can you have at once?

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 9/70

Email is Broken: Unclear Instructions

How well can you give directions via email?

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 10/70

Email is Broken: Unanswerable Questions

Good questions require dialogue; not email exchanges.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 11/70

Email is Broken: Insufferable Archives

Email is the worst place to store everything.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 12/70

Email is Broken: Entertainment

Since email is for “everything”, we even use it for fun.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 13/70

Email is Broken

• Drinking from the fire hose• Information overload• Used for every purpose

 –  Advertisement –  Coordination – 

Conversation –  Give directions –  Ask questions –  Record keeping –  Entertainment!

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 14/70

Email is Broken: Causes - Asynchronicity

Anytime, any place, and perhaps not with the same devotion

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 15/70

Email is Broken: Causes - Unlimited

No barrier on the number of emails you can send or receive.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 16/70

Email is Broken: Causes

Unlimited

andAsynchronous

Treacherous

Combination

Telephone Postal Mail

InstantMessenger

(Chat)Email

Synchronous Asynchronous

Limited

Unlimited

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 17/70

Email is Broken: Proof

Constantly down; reply-all storms, mailbox quotas

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 18/70

Email is Broken: Proof

The five word email that cost $10 million dollars.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 19/70

Email is Broken

“Email systems cannot handle

the way people use email.”

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 20/70

THE SHORTCUT PROBLEM

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 21/70

The Shortcut Problem

Most email productivity advice:

“Make [this] simple change.”

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 22/70

The Shortcut Problem

The reality of clever tricks:

“Tricks assume helpfulpreconditions.”

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 23/70

The Shortcut Problem: Helpful Preconditions

This is how all magic tricks work.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 24/70

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 25/70

The Shortcut Problem: Helpful Preconditions

#2: Our email statistics

(inbox size and response time)are non-representative.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 26/70

The Shortcut Problem: Helpful Preconditions

#3: We work with others who

use email intelligently and whorespect our time.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 27/70

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 28/70

A New Perspective

Email is for routing ideas, not

for creating or storing information.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 29/70

A New Perspective: Stop

Stop using email for Composition and Archiving.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 30/70

An Old Perspective

Golf 

•

Careful setup• No time limits

• Single objective

• No distractions

• Many chances

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 31/70

A New Perspective

Baseball

•

Seconds to play• Multiple options

• Roar of the crowd

• Three strikes

• Team sport

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 32/70

An Old Perspective

Archives

•

Permanent• Full & Complete

• Rarely Accessed

• Secure

• Defensive

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 33/70

A New Perspective

Lobby

•

Spacious• Clean & Airy

• Public, always open

• Welcoming

• Informative

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 34/70

An Old Perspective

Composition

•

Devoted• Elegant

• Compelling

• Intellectual

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 35/70

A New Perspective

Dialing & Directing

•

Instant feedback• Predefined

• Results-driven

• Simple

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 36/70

A New Perspective

Email is for routing ideas, notfor creating or storing information.

Changing our perspective enables anew relationship with email.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 37/70

TESTIMONIAL

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 38/70

Testimonial

Eric Marasco

Proforma

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 39/70

RETHINKING EMAIL

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 40/70

Rethinking Email

Order of Composition

Inbox ZeroControl the Schedule

Working from Sent

Message/Goal Parity

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 41/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 42/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 43/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 44/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 45/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 46/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

Email is for routing ideas, notfor creating or storing information.

Start with the idea to be routed.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 47/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

1)Attach files

2)Write bodya. Use the phrase “the

attached file(s).”

b. Describe the one action

item for the email3) Restate body as subject

4) Flag message/to-do list

5) Add recipients & send!

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 48/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

1. Attach Files

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 49/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

2. Write bodyUse the phrase

“the attached file(s).”

Describe the oneaction item for the email

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 50/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

3. Restate Body as

Subject

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 51/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

4. Flag message/update to-do list

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 52/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

5. Add Recipients and

Send

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 53/70

Rethinking Email: Order of Composition

1)Attach files

2)Write bodya. Use the phrase “the

attached file(s).”

b. Describe the one action

item for the email3) Restate body as subject

4) Flag message/to-do list

5) Add recipients & send!

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 54/70

Rethinking Email: Inbox Zero

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 55/70

Rethinking Email: Inbox Zero

http://www.43folders.com/izero

Inbox zero is fleeting.

Inbox zero is sublime.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 56/70

Rethinking Email: Control the Schedule

Unlimited

andAsynchronous

Treacherous

Combination

Telephone Postal Mail

InstantMessenger

(Chat)Email

Synchronous Asynchronous

Limited

Unlimited

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 57/70

Rethinking Email: Control the Schedule

Unlimited

andAsynchronous

Treacherous

Combination

Synchronous Asynchronous

Limited Telephone Postal Mail

InstantMessenger

(Chat)EmailUnlimited

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 58/70

Rethinking Email: Control the Schedule

1) Schedule “dashes”

2) Avoid “checking” email

3) Define response times

4) Make & keep promises

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 59/70

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 60/70

Rethinking Email: Working from Sent

• Emphasizes your success

•

Emphasizes follow-up• Tracks delegated work

• Tracks relationships

• Easier to search whatyou’ve written vs. read

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 61/70

Rethinking Email: Message/Goal Parity

Every message should have

exactly one objective.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 62/70

Rethinking Email: Message/Goal Parity

Example Objectives:

•

Set a meeting• Provide a link*

• Give simple feedback

• Ask a simple question

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 63/70

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 64/70

Rethinking Email: Message/Goal Parity

For the recipient,

Each message is a

to-do item.

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 65/70

FREEDOM FROM EMAIL

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 66/70

Freedom from Email

2 hours per day “doing” email

10 hours per work week

500 hours per year

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 67/70

Freedom from Email

• Emerge from frustration• Use email to grow and

accelerate your business

• Explore new opportunitieswith reclaimed time

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 68/70

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 69/70

Managing Email Productivity

Questions?

8/14/2019 Managing Email Productivity

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/managing-email-productivity 70/70

Managing Email Productivity

Indianapolis Productivity Summit