How to Prioritize Your Inbox

HOW TO PRIORITIZE YOUR INBOX Email remains an unrivaled tool for communication. But if you spend hours every day trying to stay on top of your messages, you might need a few handy techniques to keep your inbox organized. What's the problem with email? WAKING UP TO A FULL INBOX IS STRESSFUL. THESE FOUR STATS HIGHLIGHT JUST HOW MUCH OF A TOLL IT CAN TAKE. IT TAKES 64 SECONDS to recover your train of thought after being distracted by a notification. 28% 83% 42% of the workweek is of employees become of Americans feel so harassed by email, they even check it spent managing emails, reducing the time you can dedicate to other areas of work. more stressed when using email, leading to health problems and reduced productivity. in the bathroom. 10 ways to get on top of your emails YOU KNOW YOUR EMAIL NEEDS SORTING, BUT WHERE DO YOU BEGIN? OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE IS HERE TO HELP. DECLUTTER YOUR INBOX If your inbox looks like a battle site, get it under control with these four steps. STEP 1 STEP 2 DELETE OR ARCHIVE EMAILS UNSUBSCRIBE FROM YOU NO LONGER NEED. PROMOTIONAL EMAIL LISTS. If you no longer read emails from a particular subscription, it's time to If you don't need it, delete it. If you're unsure, place it in an "archive" folder. Gmail has one already set up for you. wave goodbye. Scroll to the bottom and click "unsubscribe", STEP 3 STEP 4 SET UP LABELS TO FILE YOUR EMAILS. CATEGORIZE EMAILS. When you no longer need an email immediately accessible but must still keep hold of it, file it away in Gmail and Yahoo offer this feature to help keep track of your an appropriately named folder.? correspondence. Suggested labels: friends, family, bank information, receipts, invitations, newsletters, discounts. SETTING UP A ROUTINE Your inbox is clear and your mind is ready. This winning routine will help ensure you never feel out of control again. SCHEDULE SLOTS IN YOUR CALENDAR TO CHECK AND RESPOND TO EMAILS 2 – 3 TIMES A DAY. Staying constantly tuned in to your inbox can interrupt your workflow and leave you unfocused. LIMIT YOURSELF TO 30 MINUTES OF FOCUSED ATTENTION AT A TIME." WHEN READING AN EMAIL ASK YOURSELF, 'IS THIS ACTIONABLE? If not either delete it, place in your archive or hold in one of your named folders.? If yes and you can do it in less than two minutes, action it immediately. IF IT WILL TAKE LONGER, EITHER DELEGATE IT OR DEFER. AIM FOR “INBOX ZERO." Every time you visit your inbox, process it to zero. ALWAYS LABEL YOUR EMAIL, DELETE OR ARCHIVE OR PLACE IN A FOLDER. TIPS TO GO FURTHER You've mastered your email. These three tips will help you go the extra mile. SET UP FILTERS FOR INCOMING MESSAGES SO THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY FILED. Gmail, G Suite and Microsoft Outlook allow you to establish filters that obey certain "rules," keeping your inbox organized without manual effort.' CREATE EMAIL TEMPLATES TO USE FOR YOUR MOST COMMONLY SENT MESSAGES. Email templates allow you to modify a preformatted message so you can quickly reply to regular inquiries in a fraction of the time it would take to compose a fresh message. USE AN APP SUCH AS “YESWARE" THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE WHEN AN EMAIL HAS BEEN READ. This lets you know when it's time to send a "follow up." Email is a powerful tool, but when that power gets out of control, it can prove counterproductive. Use these tips to get your email game up to scratch and you'll find it a lot easier to succeed in your daily goals at work. SOURCES 'Masters, D. (2014). How to Prioritize The Emails You Respond To. business.tutsplus.com *Chui, M. (2012). The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies. mckinsey.com "Collins, N. (2013). Email 'raises stress levels'. telegraph.co.uk *Naragon, K. (2015). Subject: Email, We Just Can't Get Enough. blogs.adobe.com *Kasperkevic, J. (2014). The user's guide to Inbox Zero and an ordered financial life. theguardian.com Whitmore, J. (2017). 4 Tips to Better Manage Your Email Inbox. entrepreneur.com "Gagliano, B. (2013). Getting Things Done and Inbox Zero. gaglianoco.com "How, W. (2015). 4Ds Time Management: Delete, Delegate, Defer, Do. linkedin.com Yesware Inc. (2017). Yesware | Email for Salespeople. yesware.com This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License - www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 NetCredit