5 Simple Steps to Manage Your E-mail

Whenever you glance at your e-mail, how does it look? If unread messages in your inbox make you cringe, you are not alone. Understandably, it’s usually a daunting task for busy executives and CEOs to stay at the top of their mailboxes. However, despite the countless emails you receive daily, here are five tricks to manage your e-mail. They include:

• Create a Template response for frequent emails 

If you frequently send and receive emails, always categorise and create templates to streamline new messages.

• Use Folders and Labels

Labels help you sort your emails into specific folders for easy recognition. You can automatically filter incoming emails into folders such as ‘to-do’, ‘ASAP’, ‘follow up’, ‘important’, names of projects or clients, etc.  For example, you can set a rule that moves any mail with the word flight in the subject to a folder titled ‘Travels’.

• Use Shared Inbox for Team Projects

You can reduce incoming emails by creating a shared inbox for your team. For instance, in your organisation, the media department should have a shared inbox. The same applies to other departments. 

• Unsubscribe from Unnecessary Mailing Lists

Reduce the number of emails you receive by unsubscribing from unnecessary newsletters.  If you have unread messages lying in your inbox for over a month, it is a sign to hit the unsubscribe button. 

•  The 4D Rule

This rule involves four things. First, delete any irrelevant, spam, or outdated messages. Second, do any email that requires your immediate attention, like confirming an appointment. Third, delegate to a third party if it is a task outside your area of familiarity as it can be time-consuming. Lastly, defer non-urgent emails as it helps you to attend to important things.
In conclusion, managing your email inbox increases productivity and reclaims time for you as a busy C-executive. Click here to read related articles.