email management

Email ManagementKevin R.Thomas, Manager,Training & Development · Office of Human Resources · [email protected] · 413-597-3542

October 2016

[email protected]

Training & Development ManagerHuman Resources

Kevin Thomas

Email Management


1.Adult behavioral change and email management2.Arriving in the present of email 3.The Inbox 0 Approach4.Tips5.Q&A

Agenda


• Why bad habits are hard to break• The WOOP approach to change

– Wish– Outcome– Obstacles– Plan

• It takes 2 months to form a habit you can keep without thinking.

Adult Behavior Change and Email Management



Agenda


• 4 Generations of Pot Roast• Two big changes:

– Unlimited space– Faster, better searching

Arriving in the present of email


• We learned to delete emails to save space• We now have unlimited space

in our email• There is no need to delete

emails, or even to think about it.• Archive, don’t delete.

Unlimited Space


• Searching was slow or non-existent, we had to organize emails into folders.• Searching is now very robust.• There’s no need for an

elaborate “filing system” of folders.• We’ll use folders/labels later to

queue up email-related tasks.

Faster Searching


• To:Jane Doe• From:Jane Doe• To:Jane Doe has:attachment• From:Jane Doe has:attachment

My go to searches



Agenda


• When your inbox is full:

– Your attention will scatter– You will get wound up– You will not have as much

choice about what you do with your time

Inbox 0

Click icon to add picture


• On some regular basis, get your inbox to 0• May require a significant time

investment up front• Easy to fall off; easy to get back

on

Inbox 0



• Preliminary Step 1: Create the following labels

_next_action_someday_waiting on

An Inbox 0 Method



• Preliminary Step 2: Learn how to:

– Convert an email into a task

– Show your tasks on your calendar

An Inbox 0 Method (cont’d)



GTD Processing SystemPart 1 of 2

Is it Actionabl

e?

Do it

Get clear and

specific about the

action

Will it take <2 minutes?

Archive

No

Yes

Yes

No



GTD Processing SystemPart 2 of 2: Action Needed, >2 min

Delegate it:1) Label it “waiting

on”2) Forward to the

delegate with instructions

3) Add to tasks4) Archive

Does it need to be done ASAP?

1. Add label “_next”

2. Add to tasks

3. Change task title to specific, concrete action

4. Set due date of today

5. Archive

1. Add Label “_action”

2. Add to tasks

3. Change task title to specific, concrete action

4. Set due date

5. Consider blocking off time on your calendar

6. Archive

Are you the best person to

do it?YesNo

Yes

No


Email Delegation

• When forwarding a message, consider changing subject with a brief description of the action to be taken and a due date

– “e.g. review draft email launch message by Friday at noon.”

– Caution: will separate email from the rest of the thread


Look at your docket for today:– Look at the emails in your “_action”

label. Does anything need to move to _next ?

– Navigate to the “_next” label– Look at your calendar tasks

Prioritize tasks:– Do those that require the most

concentration first– As you finish, mark each item

complete and remove the “_action” or “_next” label

After Processing Your Email



Agenda


• You will set an unreasonably high response time expectation for others

• You will be distracted from more important work

• Your responses will not be thoughtful

Tip 1: Never Respond to an Email Right Away



• If you are doing focused work composing an email, consider drafting it in a word processing program first.

• Communicate your change in email practices with important colleagues (like your boss)

Tip 2: Turn off your email during focused work periods


• Choose some hours during the day when you will not check email:• Lunch• 10pm – 7am• Vacations

Tip 3: Create email moratorium hours


• If 2 email volleys hasn’t resolved an issue, pick up the phone.

• If it’s someone you’ve had a challenging work relationship with, pick up the phone.

• If it’s someone you need to have a stronger relationship with, pick up the phone.

Tip 4: Know when to pick up the phone


• Managing your email can make you more productive

• You still may need to:• Manage expectations• Set priorities• Delegate• Say no

Tip 5: Managing Your Email is 1 Part of Managing Your Job




Agenda


Kevin Thomas, [email protected], x3542

Email Management

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