Email is Too Much
When you ask professionals about things that overwhelm them, it is almost certain that email is near the top of the list. Email is one area where it can feel impossible to get caught up. In order to maintain relationships and maximize effectiveness, it is critical that you know what is in your email and act on it appropriately and timely. To do this, I use a few key strategies that keep my email manageable.
Email Strategies
My email organization is built around a few main ideas:
Inbox Zero – I need to know what is in my email within a day of it arriving, and it needs to be acted on appropriately (replied, actioned, sorted, archived, etc.). It does not mean I do everything within a day, but it is put in a place where I know it won’t get lost in the noise. To help with this, I also have 3 scheduled times in the day to check and process emails. This helps me not live in my email, which can quickly sink a day.
Necessary Complexity – The system is as complex as it needs to be to work, and no more. 3 folders work for me. 2 might be the right answer for you, or 4. There’s no magic to 3. It’s just what works for me. I add to and remove things from time to time, but only when I notice things getting in the way of the work. More about my 3 folders is below.
PEEP – A place for everything and everything in its place. I consider the different types of information I receive through email and how I use that information, then create the spaces where that information needs to go so I can use it for its purpose, and then I have a way to make sure it gets to the right place.
Folders
Under my main inbox, I have 3 other folders
Actionable (Things I need to act on)
Incubation (Things I want to be able to find, but don’t need to do anything with right now)
Archive (Things that don’t fit the other two)
Categories
Within my Actionable Folder, I use categories (I use Outlook for work email, Google might call this something else). I then order the categories by general priority. During each email session I check the number 1s to make sure I’m moving things forward in those areas. The others are checked when they relate to the tasks I need to accomplish.
1- Next Email Session – I don’t know where to put it yet, so I put it here
1- Students – Emails about issues involving specific students.
2 – Projects – Emails related to multi-step tasks that are part of something bigger than the individual email.
3 – Waiting For – Things I’ve replied to or sent that I’m waiting for a response or action from someone else. I check this once per day to see if I need to follow up on anything.
4- Tech Tickets – Emails related to tech and maintenance tickets that I don’t want to lose sight of. Kind of a specialized Waiting For category
5 – Upcoming Meetings – Emails related to upcoming meetings or trainings so I know where to find Zoom links, agendas, or other information I know I will need at the meeting.
6 – Staff – Emails about issues involving specific staff members.
Admin – Emails related to admin tasks such as setting up MFA, approvals, reimbursements, mileage, etc.
Check with Others – Emails that I need to talk to someone else about before I respond or act
For Next Year – Only used at the end of the school year to organize requests and ideas about next school year.
Incubate – An elevated form of the Incubation folder. Just puts these items a little more at hand.
Read – Newsletters, articles, etc. that I need to read
WeKan Update – Items to consider including in an upcoming coop newsletter.
Our instructional technology coach put together a FLEX (Flexible Learning Experience) that helps staff get the most out of Outlook features. That FLEX can be found here.
What do you do to manage your email? Share below.
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I appreciate you sharing your strategies!