Tuesday Tidbit on Strategies to Manage Your Inbox

Jan 19, 2016

“Time management” is really a misnomer – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. -Stephen Covey

Next week is “Clean Out Your Inbox Week.” Who knew, right? I saw it on the internet, though, so it must be true.

There is merit to the idea, though. Sometimes, that inbox has so many new messages, it’s overwhelming just to think about tackling it let alone actually digging in. But, the longer you ignore it, the worse it gets. Email is an extraordinary communication tool, but it can also be a significant time-waster with a negative impact on your ability to manage time and work.

What to do? Here are five strategies you can use to conquer the email mountain.

  1. Unsubscribe from junk mail. Don’t just move the messages to a junk folder. If you don’t want them, prevent them from coming in the first place.
  2. Schedule specific times during the day to read emails and take appropriate action. Put it on your calendar so the time is blocked and reserved for this task. Depending on your usual volume, consider 15 to 30 minutes at the start of the day, before lunch, then mid- to late afternoon.
  3. Use the tools in your email program to help you be organized and manage time.
    • Create folders to save important (not all!) messages by topic, client, or sender.
    • Use custom response messaging to let senders know when you normally check email and that if something is more urgent, they should call you.
    • Be sure to set up out of office messaging when you are on vacation or traveling so your contacts don’t email you repeatedly. Include an alternate contact for them in your absence.
  4. If an email chain needs to continue after four total messages, pick up the phone and talk it out.
  5. Take immediate action.
    • If an email requires an immediate response, respond.
    • If it needs to be delegated to a team member for research or response, forward it with clear instructions and schedule follow-up.
    • If it is not urgent, but you can respond right away, do it.
    • If you need time for more thoughtful follow-up, drag and drop the email to your task list or calendar to reserve time and get it done.

If you falter on the above, make it a point to clean out your inbox at the end of each week. If that is not doable, be committed to do it at the end of every month. Put it on your calendar. Make it a repeating task. Control your inbox so it doesn’t control you.

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The Tuesday Tidbit is the emerging leader’s weekly source for team building tips, leadership development content, creative ideas and general workplace inspiration. To further discuss any of these topics,contact me here and let’s chat!