The Productive Woman

an award-nominated podcast about productivity for busy women

  • Home
  • Feedback
  • About
  • Resources
  • Work With Me
    • TPW Productivity Coaching
    • TPW Mastermind Groups
  • For Prospective Guests

Does this help you? Please subscribe!

  • Apple Podcasts
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Android
  • Email

Managing Email – TPW038

April 15, 2015 by Laura in podcast • Leave a Comment

Tweet1
Share10
Pin1
Share3
15 Shares
0.75x
1x
1.25x
1.5x
2x
0:00
0:37:26
  • Managing Email – TPW038
Apple PodcastsAndroidDownloadGoogle PodcastsShare
Leave a ReviewListen in a New WindowSoundCloudStitcherRSSSpotifyPlayer Embed

Email is a great invention and can be a useful tool, but it can also be a distraction and a time suck. This week we’ll look at some ways to manage email so it enhances, rather than inhibits, our productivity.

managing email can be a challenge

A Few Thoughts on Managing Email Efficiently & Effectively

I love the way email lets me communicate with family, friends, clients, and colleagues. But recently I’ve been feeling like it sometimes makes me less productive, rather than more.

1. Email challenges/pitfalls.

  • Too many email accounts
  • Constant distraction and interruption
  • Too much junk
  • Time wasted looking for lost messages

2. Streamline the process of reading email.

  • Skim and delete
  • Unsubscribe
  • Turn off alerts
  • Get a really good spam filter
  • Use auto-replies to buy yourself some undisturbed time (and not just for out-of-office messages). One of several good tips from “Getting Organized: 11 Tips for Managing Email.”
  • Handle messages once
  • If you can, check email only at certain times of the day. (I can’t use this tip, but maybe you can.)

3. Make your digital life work better by organizing email.

  • Two options:
    • topic or project folders
    • few folders, and reliance on search
  • Use meaningful subject lines to help you find emails later
  • Use saved searches and smart folders
  • Use rules to sort incoming email

4. Be smart about the way you write email.

  • Use informative subject lines (and edit the subject line as necessary when you reply)
  • Keep it short and easy to read
  • Create a simple but useful email signature
  • Use groups or distribution lists
  • Double-check recipient names and email addresses before you hit send
  • Save time by using templates or text expander apps (I use and love TextExpander by Smile Software)
  • Think (and then think again) before sending an email written when angry or emotional

A Few More Resources

  • “Managing Email Effectively”
  • “Managing Email When Your Inbox is Overloaded“
  • Podcast episodes: Mac Power Users 164: Tackling Email and 224: The Email Problem
  • Outstanding, in-depth resource: David Sparks’s Email Field Guide

What do you think?

Is managing email a challenge for you, or do you have it mastered? Please share your suggestions in the comments below.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

Make scheduling easy with Doodle

Whether for business or pleasure, scheduling doesn’t have to be a pain — make it simple with Doodle. Check out their great services. Thank you to Doodle for supporting The Productive Woman.

 

Click here to discover my favorite apps!

I would love to have your help!

  • Subscribe, rate, and review The Productive Woman in Apple Podcasts or subscribe in Stitcher.
  • Join the conversation at The Productive Woman on Facebook.
  • Your feedback matters to me. Please share your comments, questions, or suggestions.
2013-04-20 signature blank background copy
Royse City, Texas

I Was Just Thinking . . .
Legal Blog: Real Estate Law Blog
Follow @LauraMcMom
Contact me

« A Quick & Dirty Look at Clutter – TPW037
Guarding Your Time – Monika Kristofferson – TPW039 »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover the Digital Tools I Use to Be a Productive Woman!

Grab the toolbox!

Send me a message!

  • feedback@TheProductiveWoman.com
  • Send a message

About Laura

Laura McClellan is a lawyer, a writer, a productivity enthusiast, and a tech geek. Married for 40 years to her high school sweetheart, with whom she's raised five amazing kids, she's passionate about encouraging women in their individual journeys as people, wives, mothers, citizens. Laura blogs occasionally at I Was Just Thinking . . . and Real Estate Law Blog and is working on her first novel. Connect with Laura on Twitter as @LauraMcMom.

Notice

"The Productive Woman" is a trademark of Laura McClellan.

Disclosure

This website contains links and references to products and services that may include affiliates, sponsorships, or other business relationships in which Laura McClellan and Noodle.mx Network may receive compensation from referrals or sales actions.

Design by Daniel J. Lewis | D.Joseph Design • Built on the Genesis Framework