Use a system to manage Email
We hear the sound of an incoming mail or we see the signs of unread messages on our desktop or smartphone and we feel the urge to respond to this email. This generates a lot of stress.
So, you need a system to manage your mails and even do your team. The problem is, that everyone has to handle it for themselfs and most do not know how to increase productivity by using a system.
As an organization you need to establish a systems that helps people managing their mails. I know some different systems company uses to improve productivity in email communications.
One did shut down push messages after 6 p.m. so that no message get on the smartphones outside of the working hours. Another organization delivered mails only every four hours to maximize the flow.
Many organizations established department inboxes for example sales@company.org, services@company.org etc. A member of this department looks into this mailbox if he is free for any new action. So, he takes one of the mails out of the mailbox, processes it and moves it to the folder Done.
Every system has its pros and cons and you need to find the right for your organization.
No freedom without self organisation
Email is just one part for your employees to bring results. Other parts may be meetings, phone or face-2-face conversations, creative thinking or producing something like a proposal, a whitepaper or whatever is part of their job role. So, don't let them spend more time on email than it deserves.Ask yourself
What are the actions in a specific job role that let the people reach their goals?Most of the times email is one small part of all, a really really small part. It's just a tool to communicate and there more ways to communicate than just email.
So, to be effective, your organization not only needs a system for managing mails, it also needs a general approach how people organizes themselfs and they shouldn't handle their mails outside this framework.
Using technology to help you with your Email inbox
Many organizations starts at that point if it comes to improve the way how emails are managed. But this is the wrong starting point. First, you need to establish a system that helps people organize themself and than a Email Management System can help you to improve this process.At this point it is important to find a system that supports the process, the organization has discovered and implemented.
In most companies today, we find e-mail systems such as Microsoft Exchange Server, IBM Domino server or cloud solutions such as Gmail. Each of these systems has its own client in which the mails are processed (Outlook, Notes, Web Browser).
Either the tool that supports your way of managing mails should be implemented directly in these clients or an indipendent tool is used that is integrated via standard protocols such as IMAP. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
In general, the built-in tools (e.g. Outlook Add-In) depend on the version of the client. So, it may not provides an upgrade path and safes your investment. On the other hand, the stand-alone clients are usually not as powerful as the one supplied.
Outlook
In the upcoming weeks we try to handle each of the above topics. So, stay tuned and follow me on Twitter.@cabcookie folgen
