Making Etiquette Easy: Email with Ease

We've all been up to our ears in emails before with a daunting number of unread emails growing exponentially each day. The once recognizable and catchy AOL notification, “You’ve Got Mail,” is now a sound of stress and dread. With fast-paced work environments, multiple meetings and many of us adding travel to the mix, it is not uncommon for more than a thousand unread emails to stack up in record time. This can quickly lead to stress if you do not find ways to tackle your email bounty. Try considering the following tips to de-clutter your inbox and email with less stress and more ease.
 

-The appropriate turnaround window for an email is usually 24-36 hours after you having received it. Even if you don't anticipate being able to fully answer an email or question in that set amount of time, consider shooting a quick email back to the sender letting them know you received the email and will have an answer for them soon. Then set a personal deadline to respond. Hint: always do a quick “drive by” of emails in the bottom of your inbox so you don’t miss something…

-Remove yourself from website mailing lists you rarely follow. Today, it is common for websites to require an email address before perusing their site, even if you’re a onetime user. Thus, you are instantly enrolled in their newsletter which is sure to fill your inbox with several emails a day with mostly useless information. Go through you inbox and unsubscribe to all newsletters you feel you can live without. However, after doing this if you still find yourself overwhelmed with mailing list emails, try creating a separate email account devoted to these types of inquiries. This way, you are able to read through them at your leisure without getting in the way of more important emails that require a timely response. 

-Organize your inbox. Every email program gives you the capability to sort emails into folders. Utilize the folder system to create an organizational structure to house your emails. An example of this would be, creating folders ranging in priority/importance, so when it is time for you to answer some of these emails you’ll know what emails need to be taken care of immediately versus the emails that can wait to be addressed later. Consider sorting your emails during the initial pass, so the email will be waiting for you in its respective folder without you giving it a second thought. For critical emails, there is also a flagging function in most email providers that you can use to highlight your most time sensitive emails.
 

 If all else fails, try delegating some of your emails to your employees, as appropriate. This should take some of the pressure off as you manage your inbox. 

   Photo Courtesy of: Geralt