I am the queen of Email Filing. When I respond to an email, I immediately file it in the appropriate client/project folder.
If it's sitting in my inbox, it's shit that has to be done before EOD.
Today I received and filed 54 emails directly related to client work. I have 1 left in my inbox and it's 4:50. Not bad.
I am getting better by using features in outlook that help with auto archiving and filing. But the pace of things coming in is faster than I can even read them and be on 4 1-hour conference calls (where I also read them rudely) and do project work and be available to my direct reports.
Quite literally my inbox looks like this sample almost all day long. this is from an hour of time this morning:
company wide email - subject - 10:53 HR Generalist - peoplesoft issue i have to solve or delegate (with 2/3 vacancies for new team) - 10:46 Recruiter - job code and title with action for me - 10:42 IT person - peoplesoft issue I have to process map out and answer - 10:42 Recruiter - job code and title with action for me - 10:41 Husband - something about sale of old house - 10:35 junk mail - 10:33 notice of voice mail and attached file - 10:33 (I was on a con call then) IT person - peoplesoft issue I have to address (see above) - 10:23 staff member - request for meeting - 10:19 staff member - request for another meeting - 10:18 junk mail - 10:17 C suite leader - hot issue requiring immediate attention 10:16 Other c-suite leader - same trail 10:15 my boss - same trail delegating to me 10:13 c suite leader issue - 10:12 other csuite leader weighing in 10:12 HR partner weighin in 10:12 top chief - 10:10 my boss escalating to top of co - 10:06 HR partner escalating hot issue - 10:05 junk mail - 10:04 IT director - request for meeting with 2 hours of actionable work embedded that conflicts with another meeting - 10:04 HR director peer - actionable item - 10:03 Wellness - i'm a fatass and need to work out - 10:01 HR partner - inquiry I have to research to answer - 9:59 ops person - question about peoplesoft deliverable to be delegated to someone requiring a lot of follow up on - 9:57 HR partner - stupid report I have to read (think office space TPS reports) - 9:52
I started my to-do list for the day at 4.
Maybe I need a union rep to advocate for unreasonable volume of work. Wait - I'm HR. dammit.
Outlook rules are your friend, my friend. I've got mine set up so that any mass email/list goes directly into a sub folder, no "new email" notification, nothing.
Hence 99% of what hits my inbox is immediately actionable, beyond what is on my actual "to do" list and outside of my list of meetings (I think I had 5 today. On a goddamned Friday. WTF?). So whenever I get a solid queue in there I start to feel twitchy. Especially if I'm stuck in a goddamned meeting.
I also currently have two AT leads who LOVE using Skype instead of email.
But I don't doubt that my email volume is not what others is.
Post by cattledogkisses on Sept 11, 2015 21:22:41 GMT -5
My hair stylist is back from maternity leave, so I got my hair cut today for the first time since May. Ah, what is it about a shampoo, trim, and blowout that makes you feel like a million bucks? My hair is always so soft and silky after its shampooed at the salon. Now it's Friday night and I'm home by myself with nowhere to go and fabulous hair.
I am getting better by using features in outlook that help with auto archiving and filing. But the pace of things coming in is faster than I can even read them and be on 4 1-hour conference calls (where I also read them rudely) and do project work and be available to my direct reports.
Quite literally my inbox looks like this sample almost all day long. this is from an hour of time this morning:
company wide email - subject - 10:53 HR Generalist - peoplesoft issue i have to solve or delegate (with 2/3 vacancies for new team) - 10:46 Recruiter - job code and title with action for me - 10:42 IT person - peoplesoft issue I have to process map out and answer - 10:42 Recruiter - job code and title with action for me - 10:41 Husband - something about sale of old house - 10:35 junk mail - 10:33 notice of voice mail and attached file - 10:33 (I was on a con call then) IT person - peoplesoft issue I have to address (see above) - 10:23 staff member - request for meeting - 10:19 staff member - request for another meeting - 10:18 junk mail - 10:17 C suite leader - hot issue requiring immediate attention 10:16 Other c-suite leader - same trail 10:15 my boss - same trail delegating to me 10:13 c suite leader issue - 10:12 other csuite leader weighing in 10:12 HR partner weighin in 10:12 top chief - 10:10 my boss escalating to top of co - 10:06 HR partner escalating hot issue - 10:05 junk mail - 10:04 IT director - request for meeting with 2 hours of actionable work embedded that conflicts with another meeting - 10:04 HR director peer - actionable item - 10:03 Wellness - i'm a fatass and need to work out - 10:01 HR partner - inquiry I have to research to answer - 9:59 ops person - question about peoplesoft deliverable to be delegated to someone requiring a lot of follow up on - 9:57 HR partner - stupid report I have to read (think office space TPS reports) - 9:52
I started my to-do list for the day at 4.
Maybe I need a union rep to advocate for unreasonable volume of work. Wait - I'm HR. dammit.
Outlook rules are your friend, my friend. I've got mine set up so that any mass email/list goes directly into a sub folder, no "new email" notification, nothing.
Hence 99% of what hits my inbox is immediately actionable, beyond what is on my actual "to do" list and outside of my list of meetings (I think I had 5 today. On a goddamned Friday. WTF?). So whenever I get a solid queue in there I start to feel twitchy. Especially if I'm stuck in a goddamned meeting.
I also currently have two AT leads who LOVE using Skype instead of email.
But I don't doubt that my email volume is not what others is.
i'm stupid when it comes to program rules and only understand like one quarter of what you said, but i feel like i need to hire you. my outlook is insane.
When we upgraded to outlook 2010 I googled, "new features for improving productivity in outlook 2010."
The tips helped tremendously. Auto archiving, reply/delete in one click, stuff like that which really does help to keep the inbox cleaned out.
But some of productivity relies on people using tools properly. If someone is in the To line, make sure there is an action for them in that email. Just cc the ones that require the FYI so if they aren't in the TO line they can have rules set up to skim and archive that email.
I need to get better at using filtered rules though.
I DO have a rule set up that when particular VIPs send me something the alert box pops up and says an action is required. Has tremendously helped my perceived responsiveness.