Over the past few decades, email has become a primary communication method for businesses and among groups of individuals. Electronic messaging has replaced those paper interoffice memos and most communications that had previously come by post. Cloud Services are being used more and more among businesses.
Now, during the current pandemic and the trend toward working remotely, managing emails efficiently has become an even higher priority. What may have begun as a trickle of messages is becoming an overwhelming and time-consuming avalanche for many.
Many business managers find that unnecessary emails take up too much employee time while significantly reducing productivity.
Email Overload Wastes Time
Some people check their emails frequently, concerned that they may miss something urgent. Others check emails only a few times a day, then spend significant time wading through unimportant updates, commercial spams, and messages from friends about their kids, pets, or the details of their lives. Sadly, only a small percentage of what we receive is potentially meaningful, actionable, or pertinent to professional activity.
So, as a company owner, manager, or individual struggling to compete in the world, how do we minimize the time lost to email handling?
Is It That Important?
Senders and receivers should realize that email communications are not meant to elicit instantaneous responses. Just because the message sits in your recipient’s Inbox does not mean it is being reviewed immediately. Normal daily circumstances and our work routines often prevent us from viewing all that we receive at once.
If a message is truly urgent, a phone call, a face-to-face visit, or even a text are better options.
Suggestions to Minimize Email Intrusion
Some ideas for improving email efficiency relate to adapting some functions within your computer’s email system. Your business IT support should help with these.
Other productivity fixes require adjustments in behavior.
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Check emails less often
Set two or three times per day to review, read, and delete your emails. You may even set aside email review times like the first thing in the morning and late in the day before you finish. In this way, you can respond to actionable items that arrive overnight or during your regular working hours. In between, consider working offline if doing so is appropriate.
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Turn Off Notifications
Notifications cause you to stop what you are doing, check what just came in, and even respond to requests that may not be time-sensitive. If you respond to each as arrive 20 times per day, for example, you are likely wasting at least two full hours from the activities you are expected to complete.
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Learn to Prioritize
Create email folders labeled Important, To-Do, or Follow-Up. Transfer these to their respective files and delete as much as possible of the remaining messages.
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Group Distribution Lists
If you send messages to a specific group periodically, create well-defined distribution lists, so you do not have to add addresses one-by-one before sending. It is crucial, however, to make sure your lists remain current, accurate, and exclusive.
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Keep Responses Short
Learn to express your messages/responses in as few words as possible to save time.
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Try maintaining separate email addresses for work and personal
Keep your business and personal email accounts separate. This action should minimize the time spent at work sorting through the deluge of personal advertisements and private mail that are not pertinent to your business.
Ask for Help
Whether you manage an enterprise or are working alone, time is your most important resource. To eliminate wasted time and improve productivity in your organization, consult a knowledgeable business IT support company who can configure your systems, provide expert advice, and assist with Cloud Services.
CEG Group in Napa provides guidance and expertise in all aspects of business IT support. Whether you are implementing cloud services for a higher level of security and capacity, upgrading your existing systems, looking for IT training, or seeking 24-hour system monitoring and support, CEG has assembled an extensive and versatile team of experts.
For more information about improving your IT efficiency and business IT support, contact CEG Group at +1-833-CEG-9701.
Or you may visit the CEG website and enter your brief Contact Information. One of our professionals will contact you promptly.