Work inboxes are full of emails, and managing these emails can be overwhelming. Whether it’s from newsletters or journals that we’re subscribed to or internal communication – reaching inbox zero seems next to impossible. It’s estimated that those working directly in corporate settings receive an average of 121 to 126 business emails daily. That’s a lot of emails to stay on top of!
If you’re someone who constantly feels the need to check their inbox, prioritizes emails over getting things done, and spends way too much time managing your emails – we’re here to help.
With all these emails, it’s important to implement some tips and best practices for managing emails at work. Here are some tips you can use to manage your emails better.
1. Allocate time to check your inbox
It’s easy to feel the need to check your inbox every 5 minutes to make sure you didn’t miss anything. The average worker checks their inbox 74 times a day! This is counter-productive, and you likely spend more time checking your inbox than completing other important tasks. Dedicate some time, either in the morning, after lunch, or before the end of the day, to check your emails and respond to them. By doing so, you’ll know that you responded to everything you needed to and can focus on other, more important tasks.
2. Create a Folder for Subscriptions
If you’re subscribed to multiple newsletters and journals, they’re likely taking up a good chunk of the space in your inbox. While these subscriptions contain useful information, you shouldn’t prioritize reading them over other work-related emails that may be time sensitive. Create a separate folder for subscription-based emails so that you can access them only when you have some free time.
3. Mass Unsubscribe
Going off tip #2, if you have newsletters that you’re subscribed to but don’t read – it’s time to unsubscribe. Dedicate some time to go through your subscriptions and clean them out. In the future, subscribe to only those emails that you think you’ll read and are interested in.
4. Delete, delete, delete!
Do you have some emails in your inbox that have been in there for ages? You always tell yourself you’ll get around to replying to them, but you haven’t yet? Yep – it’s time for them to go. Be honest with yourself and delete emails that you know you don’t need or don’t need to act on. This will help you better manage what’s in your inbox and stay organized.
5. Apply the 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule is the idea that 20% of inputs are responsible for 80% of the outputs in any situation. For emails, this means that we should focus on 20% of high-valued emails that will lead to maximum output. Examples include emails from top clients, recent projects, workshops, etc.
6. Use Filters and Folders
Filters sort your mail automatically once it reaches your inbox. Set up filters and folders to help organize and manage your inbox. This minimizes the amount of manual administration that you need to do, and you’ll know exactly where all your emails are based on category and folder.
7. Use a Team Inbox Tool
Using a team inbox management solution can help you and your team get a better hold of your emails. Emailgistics enhances your team inbox with workflow options, including auto-assignment, assign to the previous owner and unlimited custom assignment rules. We also provide reports and dashboards that let you drive constant team improvement. With Emailgistics, you’ll never have to worry about an email falling through the cracks and going unseen.
8. Use Instant Messaging instead of Email
Let’s be honest – not every message needs to be an email. Almost every company has an internal form of communication, and it should be utilized! Sending a quick message through your international communication tool instead of an email can save everyone time and help lower your total emails.
Summary
Scrolling through and replying to your emails is time-consuming and can lower your overall productivity. You can save yourself time and learn how to effectively manage your emails at work by following the tips above.
Discover how Emailgistics can help you better manage your emails at work.
