The www of mastering email overload 45 min slideshow pdf

The www of
Mastering
E-mail Overload
Halve the time,
double your results and
triple your productivity
when using e-mail
Steuart Snooks
E-mail Strategist &
Productivity Expert
www.emailtiger.com.au

Today’s agenda
The impact of e-mail ‘overload’
3 strategic ‘Best Practice’ strategies
W hen
W hat
W here
9 specific actions
27 practical tips
Solutions for Success 2014 www.emailtiger.com.au

Pace of Information Overload

The 7 Critical Impacts of Email
Information Overload?
1: Interruptions
2: Loss of focus
3: Multi-tasking
4: Poor decision-making
5: Lack of ‘think’ time
6: Organisational dysfunction
7: Mental health well-being
8: Quality of life

Solutions for Success 2014 www.emailtiger.com.au www.emailtiger.com.au/special-report

Mastery
Smart
Effective
Survival
The Solution
Overloaded / Overwhelmed

How does your
organisation measure
how effectively your
people currently use email?

“White collar workers
waste 40% of their day
not because they are not smart
but because they were never
taught the organising skills to
function in the modern
workplace!”
Wall Street Journal

What can we
do about it?

The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
When
What
Where

The Three Strategies . . .
1.When
Control when you
do and when you
do NOT look at
your email

1.When
• Schedule times to check
e-mail (rather than
react as they arrive)

When
Schedule times to
check email
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Where

When
The #1
solution to
information
overload
Nathan Zeldes
Timothy Ferriss

Eliminate E-mail ‘as an interruption’

Multi-tasking
As a result of constant
interruptions, do you find
that you start to multi-task?
Do you often have 2 or 3
files open on your desk?
Does your computer often
have 4 or 5 windows (or
more) open at once?

‘Single tasking’ email
versus
‘multi-tasking’

Best times to check email?
Email
Tasks

Email
Tasks
‘Single-task’
not
‘Multi-task’

Email
Tasks
http://pomodorotechnique.com

Email
Tasks Tasks
Email
Twice per hour
16+ times per day!

Email
Tasks Tasks
Email
Email
Email
Tasks
Tasks
Tasks
Email
Even better - do tasks first, then email

Email
Tasks
Once per
hour
8+ times
per day!

Research shows that for most people, in most office-based roles,
checking e-mail at 4 planned times a day (to a max of 45 mins each
time) allows you to turn all e-mail around in a 24 hour period.
Early in the day, as ‘second thing’ (after
checking your calendar! 1
2
3
4
About 30-45 minutes before your lunch
break (NOT mid-morning)
Any time that suits you during the afternoon
About 30-45 minutes before you finish
for the day

7 Reasons Why You Should NOT Check
Email First Thing in the Morning?
1: The inbox is NOT your to-do list
2: Starting with email makes you REactive rather than PROactive
3: Ignorance is bliss!
4: Avoids short-term gratification to achieve longer term results
5: Checking e-mail is an excuse for a lack of priorities
6: Your morning energy and alertness should be directed to
higher priorities
7: Controls unmanaged and unspoken expectations

Shift your working paradigm
• Calendar-based
• Plan-driven
• PROactive
• Inbox-based
• Interruption-driven
• REactive

Make Calendar your default setting

1.When
e-mail (rather than be
interrupted)
• Turn off e-mail alerts

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Where

Turn off ALL e-mail alerts

1.When
e-mail (rather than be
interrupted)
• Turn off e-mail alerts
• Manage expectations

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Where

My New Personal E-mail Policy
My New Personal E-mail Policy
In an effort to increase my personal productivity and efficiency I am implementing a new
approach to managing my email. I have recently come to understand that I spend too
much time shuffling through a stack of emails in my inbox and not enough time focusing
on my real work, that is, the stuff I'm actually paid to do! Email has become an
unnecessary distraction that is creating longer lead times on my ever-growing 'to-do' list.
Consequently, I have decided that serious change is required. Therefore, I will now only be
checking and responding to my email at approx. noon and 4pm on weekdays. I shall try to
get back to you via email in a timely manner and will most certainly be handling my email
in a way that is seen as professional and responsive. Therefore, if you need a response
from me outside of these times, please do call me on my mobile number. It'd be good to
hear your voice anyway - much more personal than electronic mail!
I trust my new approach to email helps you get the most out of me. For my part, I believe
it will allow me to spend more time on productive work output and creating value for my
organisation. Thanks greatly; I'm looking forward to putting email back where it belongs;
supporting my work, not driving it!

Manage Expectations

Time sensitive or urgent messages
Yammer is a vital communication
and collaboration tool to help get
more done and stay better
connected.
Use Yammer to share information,
discuss important issues, organise
events, gather opinions and more.
• Crowd-source great ideas and constructive feedback
• Repurpose valuable projects and prevent duplicate work
• Support team and departmental collaboration across
functions and locations

2.What
What to do with each email

2.What
• Handle each email
ONLY ONCE

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Handle each
message only once
Where

The ‘Ziegarnik Effect’
people remember
uncompleted or
interrupted tasks
better than
completed tasks

2.What
ONLY ONCE
• Use the proven 4D
method

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Handle each
message only once
Use the 4D
methodology
Where

The Paradox of Choice

Use the 4D methodology
1: DITCH / DELETE
2: DEAL
3: DELEGATE
4: DECIDE

Use the 4D methodology
1. DITCH / DELETE
2. DEAL (2 mins)
3. DELEGATE
4. DECIDE
• WHERE - File (Move to a Folder / File along with)
• WHEN - Convert to a Task or Calendar item
• WAIT - Add to a Watch List (pending reply)

The 4D methodology
11 people
4004 emails
30 minutes

12 people
3204 emails
30 minutes

8 people
9635 emails
25 minutes

2.What
ONLY ONCE
• Use the proven 4D
method
• Use rules to automate
processes

Use rules to automate processes
the
‘cc rule’

Use rules to automate processes
• All staff
• Newsletters/ezines
• Personal
• Google ‘alerts’
• _______?

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Handle each
message only once
Use the 4D
methodology
Automate with
rules
Where

3. Where
Where to quickly file each email

3. Where
• Reduce mailbox size

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Handle each
message only once
Use the 4D
methodology
Automate with
rules
Where
Reduce your
mailbox size

Reduce mailbox size
According to research by Permessa, based
on 15 years of experience with leading
global enterprises,
80% of email volume
comes from just 4% of
messages
which, in turn, typically comes from just
1% of the user community.

Reduce mailbox size

3. Where
• Use links instead of
attachments

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Handle each
message only once
Use the 4D
methodology
Automate with
rules
Where
Reduce your
mailbox size
Document links
not attachments

Use document links instead of attachments
What are some of the
disadvantages of
sending attachments?
What are some of the
advantages of using
document links?

Use document links instead of attachments
Attachments Links
Size
Speed
Version control
Security
Compatability

3. Where
• Use links instead of
attachments
• Simplify your email
folder structure

When
Schedule times to
check email
Turn off all
email alerts
Manage
expectations
The www of
Mastering
Email
Overload
What
Handle each
message only once
Use the 4D
methodology
Automate with
rules
Where
Reduce your
mailbox size
Document links
not attachments
Simplify email
folder structure

Simplify Email Folder Structure
Outlook 2007 Outlook 2010
1: Separate
‘finished’
from
‘unfinished’
work
2: Create
4 or 5
‘primary’
folders
Filing cabinet

Stay in touch and up-to-date
www.emai l t iger.com.au
Steuart G. Snooks
Email Strategist
Productivity Expert
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