Being distracted by each new email as it arrives can be a very expensive drain on your time, well-being and productivity. In this video we show you how to limit those unnecessary email distractions yet still be aware of emails from important contacts eg clients, the boss etc.
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Posted Tuesday November 19th, 2013, 10:41 pm by Dr Monica Seeley
A couple of weeks or ago I had the pleasure and honour of running a Brilliant Email Management workshop for over one hundred NHS PAs at the NHS PAs for Excellence Wales conference. Here are their top tips for reducing email overload and using excellent email etiquette to save time.
Subject line – note what is required within the subject line, eg for action/for info/respond by…/
One topic – one email
System emails on server instead of BB
Using information like ‘no response required’ or ‘action required’ in subject line
When filing an email in a sub-folder, change the subject to one that fits/is more suitable to your filing or better suits the reason for keeping the email
Make sure that the content is polite and no ambiguity – plain speech
Switch off new email alert and try to check emails only three times a day
Drag and drop emails into calendar/task pad for reminders eg complete survey by ‘date’ in good time
Use the Out of Office message to manage sender’s expectations of when I will reply
Colour code incoming emails
Editing in situ
Only put your signature once in an email
4D rule: Deal; Delete; Delegate or Defer
Drag and drop emails to task pad
Send a link not a file
Things change; never be afraid to ask people to remove you from contact lists, distribution groups that are no longer relevant
Use the facilities available – learn how to use Outlook to its full potential
Check for typos before pressing ‘send’
Keep emails succinct and relevant
Plan emails, draft, review etc, if needed and ensure that the recipient needs to avoid return emails with questions
Say it in the subject line – ‘EOM’ end of message
Five bullet points maximum
‘Thank you in advance for your assistance’ is my favourite phrase – regrets having to thank someone afterwards
