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Resolving to live and let go — of your emails

February 4, 2019Lori Rohrbach

Does your email inbox spark joy? Will you thank each message before you delete it?

OK – maayyybe we’ve watched one too many episodes of the hot Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” But before you roll your eyes at this latest fad, recognize that some of the principles outlined by the “Konmari method” can be effectively applicable to your business life.

Before your New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside, let’s tackle an organizing project that makes work feel less stressful: decluttering your digital desktop.

A softer approach

Like the Konmari method, the appeal of this personalized email-streamlining resolution is that anyone can do it. It doesn’t impose a “no mercy” boot camp approach with strict rules. It centers on these key steps:

1) Determine the personal value that individual items hold for you

2) Let go of things that offer limited value

3) Organize what remains

Discovering hidden value

You may think, “Hey, this is my BUSINESS email…no messages have emotional value!”

Not so fast.

You might find tucked deep in the weeds of your archived emails a sweet farewell message from a former coworker, cherished comments from a now-deceased colleague or praise from your boss for a job well done. So before you go purge-crazy and just delete everything in one fell swoop, take a moment to look closer.

Attack your archive

That treasure trove of old messages is probably 90% old and only 10% treasure. Working under the assumption that you already use Outlook or another system to organize your email into folders, let’s start by zapping your digital “barnacles.”

Sort your messages by sender so they’ll be grouped alphabetically by individual/company name. This lets you quickly wipe out whole categories of useless-to-you information such as expired promotions, old client e-newsletters, internal company announcements, notifications that you have a secure email waiting and the like.

Once those are gone, it’s easier to find important business emails and special messages from people you care about that you want to save. Then re-sort the list by reverse date, oldest to newest. Chances are VERY good most emails from 2017 or older aren’t relevant to you anymore and can be cut without a second thought.

Organize what’s left

Now you can jump on that minimalism bandwagon and create a simple organizing system for new incoming emails. Kondo prefers to sort her messages into two simple categories: Unprocessed and Save. (See more of her email organization tips.) Your personal system may need a tad more complexity, but the idea is to not let unprocessed emails build up AND to be able to find saved ones easily.

Moving each new email message to the proper folder immediately after you’ve read it will help keep your inbox nice and slender. If you think you’ll need it, create reminders to keep you on track — even something as simple as a Post-It note stuck to your monitor that says, “File that email in the right place!”

Celebrate patience and small goals

Setting aside literally 10 minutes in your morning before you jump in to your day’s work — or perhaps later in the day as a break from some other project — gets you 10 good minutes of progress.

I’ve been applying this method to whittling down my family’s monster stash of double-print photos accumulated over decades before our digital lives took over. Once I realized I didn’t have to meet some artificial deadline to finish, I began to look forward to sifting through a few packs when I have a little free time.

Of course, going through old emails isn’t the same as seeing cherished faces smiling back at you. But once you’ve reduced your archive and created better habits for incoming email going forward, you might be amazed at how much “joy” a lean inbox can bring!

Author: Lauren Somers

Previous post Do it Now…How to Get More Organized at Work Next post Share, Confirm, Introduce, Delegate and Discuss: 5 Things to Consider Before you Run your Next Meeting

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

 

Whether telecommuting is old hat or something you’ve been forced into as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, here are a few tips to make the experience run smoothly for both employers and employees.

 

Managing expectations

Successful work-from-home strategies always begin with clearly communicated expectations. Make sure your employees have any necessary equipment, tools and resources.  Will they need to track their time? Participate in regularly scheduled meetings? Be available at certain times of day? For employees, know what you’re accountable for and clearly communicate any challenges you’re having.

 

Constant communication

Keep the lines of communication open and be accessible. Check in with employees regularly through apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Skype, or even an old-fashioned email or phone call. Be genuinely interested in how they’re doing but don’t overdo it. Foster a feeling of trust by not micromanaging.

 

Nine to five…ish

While having a daily schedule is ideal, it may not always be practical right now. Make sure your people know when you need them to be available and try to offer flexibility at other times. They may be juggling school schedules as well as work schedules and working at “off-shift” times may be necessary. Be mindful of employees in different time zones as well.

 

For employees, try to work when you’re at your best, and not when you’re exhausted by kindergarten playtime and fourth grade math. Make sure people know if you will be unavailable at certain times.

 

Taking a break

Getting up and moving clears the head and helps with creativity and problem-solving. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a break for lunch, make time to get away from your desk throughout the day.

 

Signing off

Working from home does not mean being available 24/7. Set an actual end to the workday if possible. Don’t send and respond to messages at all hours. Sign out of messaging apps and close work programs. Understand and respect these boundaries.

 

Location, location, location

When setting up a home office, think about where you will have the fewest distractions – for yourself and for those who may be seeing you and your background on a video conferencing platform. Try to avoid busy spots that may include semi-clad people walking behind you, barking dogs and kids vying for your attention.

 

Conferencing and calls

Be clear about whether you expect people to turn on their cameras during meetings. If so, be clear about how they should be dressed. During calls, mute your phone when you’re not talking to avoid background noise. Headphones can also help with call quality. When speaking, pause frequently so others can participate in the conversation.

 

Social engagement

It’s ok for managers and employees to have some down time together, which may help ward off feelings of isolation. Keep up your normal level of interaction, perhaps with a virtual coffee break or happy hour. Managers should set the tone for how casual to be. Let employees choose what they would like to share, and never pry into areas that were off-limits before.

 

 

Author: Erin Alderfer

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