This document provides guidance on purpose oriented email management. It discusses developing an email philosophy and intentional approach to email. Specific tips include turning off notifications, checking email at set intervals, processing emails to zero unread each time, and using a system like "inbox zero" to delete, delegate, respond to or defer emails. The document also provides best practices for writing clear emails, using subject lines to summarize, taking on context for the reader, and implementing filters and folders to better manage tasks and follow-ups.

1. p.o.e.m

2. Purpose Oriented Email Management
•The Why
•Strategy
•Tools
•Tricks
p.o.e.m

3. Purpose Oriented Email Management
Your time and attention are finite
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4. Philosophy
•If you know where you are going, email
helps you get there fast.
•If you do not know where you are going,
email will help you get there even faster.
p.o.e.m

5. Intentional Email
•Email as distraction.
•Responding to email on arrival.
•Email as procrastination.
•Responding to email when you ought to be
doing something else.
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6. Intentional Email
•Email as communication that is:
•in service to your purpose.
•clear to the recipient.
•is actionable by the recipient.
•aimed at the right audience.
p.o.e.m

7. Email Best Practices
•Turn off notifiers
•Check email at reasonable intervals.
•When you check, process to zero.
•When you process have a system.
•When you have a system make it a habit.
p.o.e.m

8. In Box Zero (Merlin Mann)
•Delete
•Delegate
•Respond
•Defer (schedule)
•Do it now
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9. writing your p.o.e.m

10. Email People can Understand
•Use a subject line to summarize, not describe.
p.o.e.m
Bad
Deadline Discussion

11. Email People can Understand
•Use a subject line to summarize, not describe.
p.o.e.m
Good
Recommending May 1 deadline

12. Email People can Understand
•Take on the burden of context for the reader.
p.o.e.m
Bad
To: Billy Franklin
From: Robert Payne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Please bring contributions to
the charity drive
Yes, apples are definitely the answer.

13. Email People can Understand
•Take on the burden of context for the reader.
p.o.e.m
Good
To: Billy Franklin
From: Robert Payne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Please bring contributions to the
charity drive.
You asked if we want apple pie. Yes, apples are definitely
the answer.

14. Email People can Understand
•CC’s that make a difference.
p.o.e.m
Bad
To: Abby Gail, Bill Fold, Cindy Rella
Subject: Web site design draft is done
The Web site draft is done. Check it out in the
attached file. The design firm will need our responses
by the end of the week.

15. Email People can Understand
•CC’s that make a difference.
p.o.e.m
Good
To: Abby Gail, Bill Fold, Cindy Rella
Subject: Web site design draft is done
AG: DECISION NEEDED. Get marketing to approve the draft
BF: PLEASE VERIFY. Does the slogan capture our branding?
CR: FYI, if we need a redesign, your project will slip.
The Web site draft is done. Check it out in the attached file. The
design firm will need our responses by the end of the week.

16. Email People can Understand
•Take on the burden of context for the reader.
p.o.e.m
Bad
We need to gather all the articles by February 1st.
Speaking of which, I was thinking … do you think we
should fire Sandy?

17. Email People can Understand
•Take on the burden of context for the reader.
p.o.e.m
Good
Message #1: We need to gather all the articles by
February 1st.
Message #2: Sandy's missed a lot of deadlines
recently. Do you think termination is in order?

18. creating your p.o.e.m

19. Cheat but mean it
•Can routine communication:
•Is there an email you find yourself writing
regularly?
•Can a response and reuse it.
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20. Cheat but mean it
p.o.e.m

21. Cheat but mean it
p.o.e.m
•quick entry for items you type all the time
•phone number
•email addresses
•tag lines
•email signatures

22. p.o.e.m

23. p.o.e.m

24. p.o.e.m

25. p.o.e.m verbs

26. Email to Initiate Task Management
•If you communicate through email, use that
interaction to begin managing your tasks.
•As part of your process, set due dates
•Associate with a client or project
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27. Filters and Folders
•Set up filters to funnel emails into folders specific
to how you work.
•Kill file for Half Spam
•Client or Project Names
•Smart Follow Up
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28. Smart Follow Ups
•Integrate Task Management With Email
•Outlook
•Microsoft Project
•Omni Focus
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29. Free Smart Follow Ups
•Set up a free gmail account
•billzeinert+follow@gmail.com
•Include this address as bcc
•Create a filter that looks for that email and puts
that email in a folder you check each day.
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30. p.o.e.m