Do you ever feel overwhelmed by e-mail? Have you ever spent more of your day wading through your e-mail than managing your work? Are you looking for ways to spend less time creating, managing and answering messages? Discover how to overcome e-mail overload and be more productive by writing more effective e-mail messages and reducing the volume of e-mail.
Write Effective E-Mail Messages
Start improving your e-mail effectiveness by creating and formatting easy to follow content, and by using pre-written responses.
Create Clear Content
Consider these strategies to upgrade your communications with understandable, e-mail messages:
? Help others prioritize how to act on your e-mail by including a clear, specific subject line and repeating important subject information in the body of the message.
? Define your expectations in the body of the message. Do you want your recipients to act, respond, read, or is the e-mail FYI only?
? Include only one topic per message. If that isn't possible, then describe and number multiple topics as in 5 items to add to the Wednesday meeting agenda.
? When you type the addresses for your message, check who is getting your e-mail. Many programs attempt to auto-fill an e-mail address which may not be your intended recipient.
? Be careful with your tone and language. As with any other communication, match the message to your audience. Unless the reader understands your dry sense of humor, for instance, they may be confused or offended rather than amused.
? It may be tempting to use acronyms in the world of the Blackberry and IM (instant messaging), but only use extremely common abbreviations, such as FYI or ASAP, unless you are absolutely certain that the individual receiving your e-mail knows what they mean.
? Clearly identify yourself to strangers within your message and in the message signature.
Format Readable E-Mail Messages
Simplify the e-mail messages you send with clean, easy-to-read formatting:
? Get to the point. Shorten paragraphs to no more than five or six lines to reduce reading.
? Limit e-mail text to a single printed page. If you have more text, reduce the message or consider attaching a Word document. Delete previous responses that are no longer relevant to the current exchange.
? Use fonts between 10 and 12 points in size except for headlines and choose a font style that is easy to read. Apply colors sparingly.
? Add blank lines and white space to separate paragraphs and areas of detail.
? Run the spelling checker and re-read messages one last time for clarity and grammar before clicking Send.
Use Prewritten Responses
If you send a few basic messages over and over again, such as a reply to a request for product information, consider saving those responses as signatures that can be inserted into e-mail so that you don't have to retype them. For a majority of messages, create a default signature that includes your full name, position or title, phone, website, and other contact information.
Reduce the Volume of E-Mail
Some of the top ways to cut the amount of e-mail you receive is to manage the number of messages that you send, reduce unnecessary follow-up replies, and determine when person-to-person communication is a better choice. Decrease the Number of Messages You Send Before you write your next e-mail, seek to actively reduce how much e-mail you send:
? Read all replies on a topic before responding to the original message. Resist getting involved with e-mail threads that don't impact your objectives.
? Don't send, and discourage your staff from sending, "chime-in" messages that are simply unimportant responses such as "Thank you" and "You're welcome." Don't respond to junk mail.
? Avoid Reply to All unless all recipients need to see your response. Otherwise you are contributing to their e-mail litter.
? Use the Cc (carbon copy) line only when the topic impacts the recipient's work. Although it may seem easier to send a message to everyone in a department or your organization, first ask yourself, "Who needs to know? Why?" Most people who get a carbon copy assume there is something they are supposed to do.
? Use Bcc (blind carbon copy) to hide large distribution lists or to disguise the names of select recipients. All recipients can respond to a message but replies will not be received by anyone in the Bcc list which reduces the amount of e-mail they get.
Eliminate the Clutter in Your E-Mail
In addition to initiating fewer e-mail messages, look at other ways to reduce the messages in your Inbox:
? Publish frequently requested information on your company website and make sure that the website is quickly updated when changes occur.
? When you are sending out informational messages that do not require feedback, discourage unnecessary responses by using formal language and begin and end messages with No Reply Needed or FYI Only.
? Unsubscribe to electronic newsletters that you don't read and move others out of your Inbox to folders for reading during travel or other down times. Don't unsubscribe to mailings that you never initiated or you may further open the flow of junk mail.
? If it's an available option, setup an out of office message that responds to incoming messages when you are not available to answer your e-mail. Clearly state your response time, when you will return, and who can be contacted during your absence.
Choose Voice Instead of E-Mail
There are often times when phone or face-to-face conversations are a superior choice to e-mail. Pick up the phone or arrange a meeting when:
? Building rapport is critical.
? The topic is emotionally charged.
? There are many intertwined issues to resolve or there is a need for lengthy interactive discussions.
Implementing these strategies for overcoming e-mail overload can help you become more productive and free you from your Inbox.
© 2005 by Dawn Bjork Buzbee
Dawn Bjork Buzbee is The Software Pro? and a certified Microsoft Office Expert and Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor. Dawn shares smart and easy ways to effectively use software and technology through her work as a speaker, trainer, and consultant. Visit http://www.SoftwarePro.com for great Microsoft Office software tips and tricks or to contact Dawn.
Teamwork is a process that can be experienced outdoors and... Read More
We all see it . . . business markets are... Read More
The way you structure your payment offers can increase your... Read More
INTRODUCTIONThe typical approach executive teams use to cascade, or roll... Read More
This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More
Have you ever noticed french fries taste the same at... Read More
It's been a pretty good weekend around the place -... Read More
Purpose: Show how immersion leadership training makes strategic initiative success... Read More
Not long ago I was asked to come out and... Read More
Managers who aren't loyal to their people can't expect loyalty... Read More
A major source of communication breakdowns is incongruence between the... Read More
Here's a brief story I encountered while leaving Newark International... Read More
The title implies that some people are and others not.This... Read More
The candy box is a container for all your favourite... Read More
Everyone knows that an agenda is the key to an... Read More
This article relates to the Career Opportunity competency, commonly evaluated... Read More
If you have ever worked within a large organisation then... Read More
ACCOUNTING AND BILLINGCHECK BOOKSWe recommend that you maintain a business... Read More
Service Level Agreements, or "SLA's" are tricky but useful mechanisms... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Organizational structure can inhibit or foster creativity and innovation. The... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Perhaps the most common theme I've heard in working with... Read More
Keeping and Motivating the Best Employees ... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
We all attend many meetings. I'm sure you have been... Read More
A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More
This article relates to the Senior /Top Level Management competency,... Read More
How do you, or would you, communicate with employees who... Read More
Talk to as many consultants as you can before hiring... Read More
I heard this back a few years ago. The boss... Read More
As crazy as it seems, some people spend more time... Read More
The role of a manager is evolving in response to... Read More
This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More
A paper manufacturer with over 300 employees once announced that... Read More
Because, like you I suspect, they have key target audiences... Read More
Unfortunately, there are managers who define public relations by its... Read More
I once worked with a developer who showed up at... Read More
Ah, the wretched pain of delegation. It comes easy to... Read More
One of the first things I look at when I... Read More
Answer: Starting one.Most of us realize that there is probably... Read More
Cost cutting has become a necessary and important reality in... Read More
Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self- indulgent Sociopath. Avoid the B.O.S.S. syndrome with... Read More
Yesterday I look at my calendar and saw that my... Read More
People talk to me about making personal and professional changes... Read More
I've been both a CEO and a consultant, so I've... Read More
It is 9:00 am on a Monday morning. Do you... Read More
You can boil down the difference between successful businesses and... Read More
If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding... Read More
There is no sure fire route to commercial success, but... Read More
The problem with communication is the illusion that it has... Read More
In today's business environment with increases in staff reductions and... Read More
The Number One problem in business is poor communication: between... Read More
Understanding where you can spend time most effectively requires concentration... Read More
You can't solve a problem with the... Read More
You're so excited you're practically bouncing off the walls. This... Read More
PREPARING EMPLOYEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS: Remind employees to... Read More
If Baby Boomers can get botox and tummy tucks, then... Read More
Firstly you should decide your own reasoning behind considering ISO... Read More
Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However,... Read More
Which documents must I keep for ISO 9001?In addition to... Read More
FEAR! To what extent does fear rule your life? How... Read More
To get the best results you have to be very... Read More
There is a growing movement in the spiritual... Read More
If you have ever worked within a large organisation then... Read More
1. No vision. Successful businesses have a clear vision or... Read More
Business Management |