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Computer & Email
Get the Most from Microsoft Outlook
Beware the Empty Inbox
Get the Most from Your Handheld
Do Digital Organizers Save Time - Or Waste It?
Efficient E-mail Habits
Transitioning from Paper to Digital Information Storage
Faxing Without Paper Saves Time
Working From Two Offices
Business & the Office
Time Tactics for the Office
Keeping Track of Delegated Tasks
Controlling Interruptions
Keeping Track of Your Customers & Prospects
Do Your Employees Really Need Customer Service Training?
Paper Management
Action Files Prevent Desk Clutter
Reclaim Your Desktop with a Tickler File
What To Do With All Those Business Cards?
Managing Project Folders - A Surprising Tip that Works
Time Management & Organizing
The Power of Planning Ahead
Words of Wisdom You Should Ignore
Coping with Information Overload
Thirteen Tips for Working Smarter, Not Harder
© Jan Jasper 2008
People talk about attaining an empty email inbox as if it's the Holy Grail. Getting your inbox to zero sounds great and done right
it can be. But done wrong, it can backfire. This raises the existential question of how you define "empty."
At one extreme are those who empty their inboxes by moving huge mousefuls of emails to other folders which they've labeled
"Read Someday" or "Later." (I know someone who has at least 2 years worth of email in a big "Read Someday" folder - scary!) It
would help if emails always carried precise subject lines. But too often subject lines are vague, contain more than 1 subject, or
are simply left blank. (Your software may allow you to edit the subject header, but you have to have time to read the email first.)
While using filters and custom folders is much better than a huge "Later" folder, you could still miss something important.
The most important thing is to distinguish between FYI emails and those that require action. Many emails are both.
If you get an email update on a project you're involved in, many people promptly move (or filter) it into that project's folder.
But what if the email hints at something you need to watch out for? One option is to flag important emails with a remainder that
will pop up on the appropriate date, or turn the email into a task (both are easy to do in Outlook). Moving it directly into the
project folder can be risky - depending on the complexity of your project, how much else is on your mind, and how good your memory is.
Or, what if an old colleague sends you a "Hey how's it going?" email and 3 paragraphs down, he writes "Do you remember so-and-so?
He's just been made managing director at Monster Holding Company." If you assume this email is low-priority and set it aside unread,
you won't know about so-and-so's promotion, you won't give him a congratulatory phone call - and a networking opportunity is lost.
It's generally safe to move (or filter) emails into folders after a quick look, but you must make time to fully process them later.
Otherwise, you'll end up glancing repeatedly at the growing email pile, fearing you'll miss something important lurking there. The
only thing worse is to have no fear - and overlook crucial information that was buried in the digital pile.
Surely, it's safe to set aside email newsletters to read later? Yes, if you actually do read them. They could contain life-altering
information, but it does you no good unless you know what's there. Can't you just do a search? Let's say you want to locate newsletters
with articles about marketing. Problem is, newsletters with relevant information many not actually use the term 'marketing.' You'd
have to also do keyword searches on 'sales growth,' 'business development,' 'customer segmentation,' etc.
Saving lots of unread emails is about as useful as the stacks of unread magazines of yore - the "great information" we couldn't throw
out but never used because we didn't know we had it. The solution is to go through the email newsletters, file what's useful, and delete the rest.
If you don't have time to do this, why save them? You may as well delete them upon receipt - or better yet, unsubscribe.
In a future issue, I'll review some Outlook plug-ins that offer to help manage email overload. Meanwhile, I'd love to hear what works
for you.
For more on this topic, see "Coping with Information Overload"
This article is available to reprint if you include my copyright notice and identify me as follows: "Jan Jasper, a productivity expert in the New York City
area, is the author of Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology (St. Martin's Press)."
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About the Author:
Productivity coach Jan Jasper has been helping busy people work smarter, not harder since 1988. Her customized approach guides clients to manage time,
tasks, and information more effectively. She also provides Microsoft Outlook customization for clients. Jan is the author of
Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology (St. Martin's Press).
She recently completed a North American media tour as the national efficiency spokesperson for IKON Office Solutions,
Inc. She has appeared on radio and TV all over North America and is quoted regularly in print. Jan is an adjunct instructor at
New York University.
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