Email Management: Control Your Inbox... Control Your Life!

Are you overwhelmed when you open your Inbox?  Do you even want to KNOW how much time you've wasted looking at the same emails until you could find the one you’re really looking for? You’ve said, "I don't have time to read this particular email right now.  It's not as important as the one that just came in.  I'll read it later."  Suddenly, you're wondering why it's August, and you've still got email from January in your Inbox.

You CAN control your Inbox and even keep it empty!  The key is to evaluate how you process and organize your email and then make some changes.  You'll gain control, improve response time, and keep up with critical actions and due dates.

Let's look at 5 things you can do to take control of your Inbox.

1. Recognize the difference between “Reference Email” and “Action Email”.  “Reference Email” requires no action.  You simply wish to keep it in case you need it later.   “Action Emails” require action on your part.
    
2. Establish a simple, effective “Email Filing System” using email file folders.  Statistically, as much as one-third of your email will be reference email.  Immediately transfer this email to the appropriate folder!  Even if you intend to read it immediately, read it from it's folder.  This way, if you ARE interrupted, you'll know where it is when you have time to get back to it, however, it's no longer cluttering your Inbox.  Once reference email is filed, all that’s left in your Inbox will be action email.  The next three items will help you with your action email.
    
3. Schedule UNINTERRUPTED email time.  You schedule meetings, calls, etc...  Email time is THAT important.  No calls.  No visitors.  Action emails require decisions. Good decisions require focus.  Focus requires uninterrupted attention. Establish a regular time each day to process email.  Mark it on your calendar and KEEP THAT APPOINTMENT! This disciplined approach will develop into a good habit over time.  Of course you’ll scan your email during the day for urgent messages or requests from your boss or client, however, you’ll quickly notice how much easier it is to deal with these.
    
4. Process messages one item at a time, starting at the top.  Resist the temptation to jump around in your Inbox.  Sort email by the order in which you wish to process it; by date, subject, sender, etc...  Create folders for co-workers or clients.  Move the first email to the appropriate folder.  Immediately go to that folder and handle that email.  Go back to your Inbox and repeat the process. This can be hard at first with hundreds or even thousands of messages in your Inbox. However, as the number of emails in your Inbox lessens, you'll reach a point where you can process all of your new messages in one sitting whether it's 10 or 110, and keep your Inbox clean.
    
5. Use the "Four D's for Decision Making" model to quickly decide what to do with each email.  With this model, you have four choices: (1) Delete it, (2) Do it, (3) Delegate it, (4) Defer it.
    
   DELETE IT - Statistically, you'll delete about half of all email you get. Afraid to delete?  Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide.  Does it relate to a meaningful objective you're currently working on? If not, you can probably delete it. Why keep information that doesn't relate to your main focus? Does it contain information you can find elsewhere? If so, delete it.  Does it contain information you'll need within the next six months? If not, delete it. Does it contain information you're required to keep? If not, delete it.
     
   DO IT (in less than two minutes) - If you can't DELETE IT, decide, "What action do I need to take?" and "Can I DO IT in less than two minutes? " If you can, just DO IT.  You'll be surprised at how many messages take less than 2 minutes to process.  File it, reply to it, or make the quick phone call. You'll probably handle about one third of your email messages in this manner.
    
   DELEGATE IT - If you can't DELETE IT or DO IT in two minutes or less, can you DELEGATE IT?  If so, delegate it. Move it to the appropriate folder, reply to it and send it.
    
   DEFER IT - If you can’t DELETE IT, DO IT in less than two minutes, or DELEGATE IT, then it will require special attention. Since this is your dedicated email processing time, DEFER IT and deal with it after you've finished processing the rest of your email. Generally, about 10% of your email will be deferred.

Use this model daily!  Statistics show on average, people can process about 100 email messages an hour. If you receive 40 to 100 messages per day, all you need is one hour of uninterrupted email processing time to get through your Inbox. Additional statistics show that of the email you receive: 50% can be deleted or filed. 40% can be delegated or completed in less than 2 minutes. 10% can be deferred to complete later.

If you have a backlog of hundreds of messages, it will take time to reach the point where your daily routine will keep you up to date. It's important to get the backlog down.  Set aside blocks of time to work through it. Very quickly, you'll begin to enjoy email. You won't accidentally miss email.  You won't have to go on a "search and destroy mission" just to find a particular email.  You'll be organized.  And your business will reflect it.

Written by William H. Wells III for Monroe County, Tennessee Newspapers.
Monroe County, Tennessee includes Coker Creek, Madisonville, Sweetwater, Tellico Plains, and Vonore

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