How to Keep eMail from Killing Your Company

Thu, 19 Aug 10

In today’s business world, managing e-mail accounts for about half of the average employee's workday. It's an overused tool, and because of its sheer volume, it can lead to miscommunication, conflict and more time taken out of the workday.

"Multi-tasking” with e-mail may make you feel busy, but it doesn't drive results. Yes, e-mail helps us, but in my experience, the people getting the most done are not checking e-mail first thing in the morning or throughout the day. The most productive people are the ones who start their days by working on their most important task. When task one is done, they start on task two. Eventually, they get to their e-mail.

You’ve probably heard this spiel dozens of times, so why are you still choosing to be unproductive by constantly checking e-mail? Here are some steps I share with peers to help stop the e-mail insanity:

• Limit the use of CC: and Reply All. Be selective and ask yourself this question before you hit send: “Do each of these people really need to read this?”
• Don't use e-mails to bounce ideas off people and discuss things. Push people to make lists of things they want to discuss, share, question, etc., and have them bring it up in one-on-one or team meetings.
• When sending anyone an e-mail that requires action, add to the subject line or first sentence the date and time for when a reply is needed; this way, those people receiving the mail will know how to prioritize.
• Put clear instructions at the top of all e-mails as to what you want the readers to do with the information you’re sending.
• If you don’t have an assistant, I’d suggest getting one. A good friend of mine once said, “If you don’t have an assistant, you are one.” Get an assistant to manage your e-mail for you.
• Your e-mail Inbox should be empty at the end of each day: All e-mails should be read once, and then either acted on immediately if urgent, delegated to the proper person, or dragged to one of these three folders: “End of Day,” “End of Week,” or “Casual Reading.”
• Do not check your e-mails before 3 p.m., unless you’re quickly scanning them for an expected reply. You have more important things to do. I mentored a CEO who only checks his e-mails on Friday, and he’s still actively involved in his fast-growing company.

Bottom line: Find the right environment for you to focus, and your productivity and quality of work will improve. Try turning off your cell phone, shutting e-mail down and focusing on projects for a short period of time each day. You’ll be amazed at how much you will get done!

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