E-Mail Overload... Not Anymore

Use e-mail as a tool for clear, efficient and compliant communication. E-mail offers numerous opportunities for employees to deliver their organization’s message—and it presents many challenges to clear communication. More and more people just can’t keep up with e-mail. Do not let this happen to you. Get a grip on the problem before it is too late.

Slash the number of new messages

Everyone is at the mercy of time...and too much time is wasted going through unwanted e-mails. Your first goal is to reduce the amount of incoming e-mail. So cancel subscriptions to unwanted mailing lists. The messages become a nuisance if you don’t have time to read them. A good spam filter reduces the amount of spam reaching your inbox.


Take advantage of subject lines

Subject lines should relate to the body of the e-mail. So be as descriptive as possible. Subject lines that say things like "question" or "hello" should be avoided. Recipients won’t know what the message is about. If you have a one-line e-mail, put it in the subject line. This will save you and the recipient valuable time.

When possible, create a set of codes with your co-workers. Placed in the subject line, codes help you process and prioritize messages. For example, use "FYI" for informational messages. Use "AR" for action required and "URG" for urgent messages.

Forwarding and copying

Be courteous when forwarding an e-mail. Summarize the message and say why you’re forwarding it. This is particularly helpful if the e-mail contains several messages.

Don’t copy someone on a message unless it is necessary. And explain why you’re copying them. Recipients won’t need to guess your intentions. This means less back and forth messages.

Respond appropriately

Not all e-mail requires a response. If you receive an e-mail addressed to several people, you may not need to respond. If a response it required, it may not need to go to everybody. Be succinct; restrict your messages to a few sentences. If you can’t, pick up the phone or talk in person.


Be disciplined

Avoid the temptation to check your e-mail every few minutes. Check it every hour on the hour for important messages. If you can go longer, do so. Of course, this might not be feasible in some work environments. Set time aside each morning and evening to process your inbox. When you’re done, it should be completely empty. File messages you need to keep. Set reminders for messages that require you to follow up.

Respond to messages immediately, so you only read them once. There is an exception to this rule. If emotions might govern your response, give yourself a cooling-down period.

Adapted from The Kim Komando Show