Time Saving Email Management Tips
A recent McKinsey study showed that workers spend up to 28% of their work week managing email. With over a quarter of your work hours spent inside your inbox, it’s no wonder we are constantly feeling like there isn’t enough time to complete every task on our to-do lists. Instead of drowning in emails and pushing those to-do lists on to the next day, try implementing this Professional Organizer in NYC’s time saving email management tips that will help you be more productive in the office.
Figure out how much time you are spending in your email. It’s hard to gauge where the challenges lie if you don’t have any data to review. Start by tracking the number of emails you receive and the number that you send each day. You may want to do this for a week so that you have a good sampling to review. Next, track the amount of time you are spending in your inbox each time you are processing emails. Use a timetracker like Toggl or Harvest.
Recognize your limitations. There is just not enough time to read and respond to every email that is ever sent to you. And that’s okay! When you scroll through your inbox, immediately delete what isn’t important. No need to read it first – just hit that delete button. If it’s a newsletter that you have subscribed to and you notice that you keep deleting it, just unsubscribe from it.
Follow a schedule for checking and replying to emails. If you spend all day in your inbox and keep hitting refresh to see if anything new has come in, you are wasting time that could be spent on other more productive tasks. Start by turning off email alerts on your phone, tablet, and computer and closing your email in your browser. If you are allowing your email to interrupt tasks that you are working on, you are not only losing momentum but also time as it can take 20 minutes to get re-focused. Schedule three or four times a day to check your email. Set a timer and stay focused. Once the timer goes off, get back to work.
Save time where you can. There are several small tricks that can shave off time spent on emails. Start by keeping your replies brief. Leave out any unnecessary information and get straight to the point. Next, try using keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts will shave valuable seconds off your time and that adds up. (Here’s some guidelines for using keyboard shortcuts in Outlook and in Gmail.) Set up your email signature to include your contact information and any important links so you aren’t constantly re-sharing that information.
Utilizing these time saving email management tips will help you increase your productivity (and your sanity!) while you are at work. When you want more office organizing tips and strategies, reach out to this Professional Organizer in NYC.