E-mail Overload!
By Kathy Condon

Emails sit in my box!  They stare back at me when I go to my computer and cry out, “Handle me!  Handle me.”  Just like when we were in college and having homework hang over our head we always have emails to do – a never ending cycle. 

I know I am not alone.  You look at your computer screen and the sense of overwhelm sets in and you wonder where should I start?  As a test yesterday, I checked to see how many emails I got – 150.   Forty-six of them were filtered out by my spam filter.  The spam trend of late seems to be asking for my bank information so they can deposit money in my account to assure their daughter, mother or aunt will be taken care of in the future. Yeah, right.

However, among the emails was a special one from my daughter.  A picture of one of the groomsmen that will be in her Caribbean wedding wearing the outfit she and I picked out when she was here a couple of weeks ago from Belgium.  Of course, that email and picture is priceless to me.  So what is a person to do? 

Here are a few tips:

PLEASE DON’T:

Put everything in your subject line. Some of us do not have our computers set so the entire message shows.  We end up opening it anyway and then are immediately frustrated we wasted our time.

Set it up so you have the acknowledge box that you receive it on all emails you send. Think about it, if we all did that, how much time would it take to check the box and then have the email load?  Save acknowledge receipt box for important things. 

Send change letters or jokes on a regular basis. Yes, I will admit sometimes one comes along that is just way too cute or clever to not forward, yet, please don’t send them out continuously to people.  You may not be that busy, yet, other people are working hard in their businesses.

Use fancy fonts and colored background. Once you are over forty, you will note that it gets harder and harder to read things on colored paper. The same thing is true for emails.  Make it easy for the reader.

Use cutesy clip art and smiling faces for business email.

Remember all forms of communication continually develop people’s perception of you—keep it business like.

PLEASE DO:

Use visual acuity.  Message received short – Reply with short, crisp message. Message received long - Feel free to include something personal.

When replying to an email, change the subject line a bit.

Example:  Original Subject: Attached is the resume

Recipient sending a note back: Attached is the resume/Addition

This gives the original sender confidence that you have read their note and now there is something more.

Acknowledge you received information that you have been sent. All it takes is to say “Great” or “Thanks.”

Write an email for each topic. 

Why? It makes it easy for people to put info into their folders. 

List your phone number on your signature.

Yes, some of us do like to pick up the phone and call instead – make it easy for us.

Needless to say, those of you reading this have your own “pet peeves” about emails that I have not listed or perhaps do not bother me.  I certainly am not saying we all have the same likes and dislikes. Come to think of it, perhaps, that is why this whole email thing is so darn complicated. Something we love and hate at the same time!

ORGANIZATION OF EMAILS

My Executive Coach gave me an idea that is really helping me handle my emails.  She comes from the premise if you cannot handle it in three minutes it should go into one of following three folders:

ACTION -- You have to do something with it when you have time.

PENDING  -- You are waiting back for a reply.

READ -- You want to keep it to read later – when you have time.

Yes, I have brought you back full circle.  Remember when I said, emails were like having homework hang over your head all the time--The READ Folder is always there if you have nothing else to do.  I trust I have provided you with ideas that you find useful.  If nothing else, you know you are not alone when you have email overload.

Kathy Condon is an Executive Coach Certified in Performance coaching –“Positioning Others for Success,” a Globally Certified Career Facilitator, Speaker and Corporate Trainer.  She is an expert on business communication and regularly speaks and trains on building relationships, including Intergenerational Communications in the Workplace kathy@kathycondon.com (360)695-4313

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