Time Management and Productivity Blog: January 2013

Get Productive: Writing effective emails

Email is intended as a quick and efficient way of communicating – consider the following email etiquette guidelines when writing your emails to make them more effective.

Be concise and to the point, don't waffle on for pages and pages. Keep it to 2-3 screens of information - or put the information in an attachment.
Use proper structure and layout - it makes it easier and quicker to read - lists, bullets, headings.
Avoid overly long sentences – keep them to 15-20 words each.
Keep paragraphs short - just 3-4 sentences each.
Be careful with formatting - rich text and HTML messages aren't always readable - create text only versions too - especially for mobile users.
Use a meaningful subject or change it if the discussion has moved on after a series of replies. Makes it much easier to find a relevant email later.
Use Subject Labels – ACTION REQUIRED, Information Only, Please Respond ... gives your reader an indication of the purpose of the email.
Avoid excessive use of abbreviations and jargon - not everyone will understand what you're talking about. If you need to use TLAs - explain what a Three Letter Acronym (TLA) is when you first use it then it's easier to recognise next time.
Be clear and specific if something needs to be done and say when you want it done by.
Use addressee fields appropriately:

To: = addressee needs to action, respond
Cc = for information only – no action/response required
Bcc = avoid using unless for mass mailings or multiple addressees

Include signatures on all external emails –this may be a standard part of your company's policy.
Use the cc: field sparingly - only include people who really need to receive the information.
Use templates for frequently used responses - saves time and effort and avoids having to retype the same information over and over.

Re-read your email before you hit send. It can be easy to miss things if you just type and send. Also if the topic is reactive, emotional or contentional it can be good to put it aside and come back to it.

Read it as the person who'll receive it - rather than the person who wrote it. What's going on in your head may not have come out as you think.

(Photo credit: avianto)

Get Productive: Email Do's and Don'ts

We all know how much time email eats into our day - in fact it's been shown to take up to 40% of our time and it's often one of the most frequently discussed problems.

While it's difficult to avoid email, here are few ideas to create a more professional and efficient email process that can be applied to both small and large businesses.

Is email the best and most appropriate means of communication? Sometimes it's quicker and more effective to just pick up the phone.
Only send it to the person who needs to read it. Don't clog up someone's inbox if they don't need to see it.
Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions. Avoids additional emails being sent back and forth.
Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. This should apply to any form of communication.
Make it personal - "Dear Sir/Madam" is so formal.
Don’t attach unnecessary files. Large files can clog up an email system - especially when they get sent to multiple addressees. Think about using Google Drive or Dropbox for file sharing.
Don’t write in CAPITALS - that's seen as shouting in the online world.
Don't leave out the message thread - especially if it relates to what you're discussing.
Read the email before you send it - we all mistype and skip words - check it through.
Don’t overuse Reply to All - does everyone really need to see your reply.
Don’t request delivery and read receipts - have their uses but may also be switched off anyway by the recipient.
Avoid excessive use of the high priority option, URGENT and IMPORTANT (unless it is!)
Don’t use email for confidential or sensitive information.
Avoid email ping-pong – pick up the phone instead.

Look out for more info and tips for a more effective and organised Inbox.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Serial multitaskers - worse than they think

Today an article appeared in the Telegraph about the impact multi-tasking has and the fact that it's actually not as effective as we might think.

Or at least those who think they're great at multi-tasking are likely to be the worst.

It also relates to another news item I saw recently about accident prone texters - oblivious to the world around them - who fall down stairs, walk in to lamp posts, fall down holes, trip over pavements and even walk into oncoming traffic - all while texting or using their mobile phones.

Just goes to show that some people can't walk and talk at the same time - let alone do anything more complex like driving.

Fortunately most of these incidents only result in appearing foolish or a slight dent to one's pride as you pick yourself up from the floor, rather than serious injury.

In reality it's better to focus on doing one thing at a time and doing it well rather than trying to do two or more things and doing none of them well. According to recent estimates you could actually be reducing your productivity by trying to multi-task.

When we 'multi-task' we're rarely doing two things at exactly the same time unless one of those things is automatic and we don't need to expend any brain energy on doing it or we're using different parts of our brain.

What's actually happening is you're switching quickly between one task and another - writing an email while talking on the phone - reading a report while sending a text ...

If you multi-task it will take you longer to complete both tasks than if you just did one at a time.

Focus on doing what's important rather than trying to do everything.

Try batch-processing tasks - group similar tasks together and set aside time to do them e.g. email, phone calls.

Set aside time in the day for specific tasks and avoid the temptation to 'multi-task' or get distracted in that time.

How often do you multi-task during the day and how does it affect your productivity and efficiency?

Related articles:

Serial-multitaskers 'worse at multitasking' (telegraph.co.uk)
The Myth of multi-tasking (blog post)

(Photo credits: www.smartsign.com)

Snowed under?

Do you find yourself snowed under by all you have to do?

Whether it's the amount of email that arrives in your Inbox every day or the paperwork you have to deal with or the shear amount of work that you have to get through that leaves you working late in the office.

Write it all down. This is the scary part - working out just how much you have to do. Once you've got it down on paper you can start making sense of it all. Grab an A4 sheet and write it all down as you think of it - or create a mindmap of it all.

What's important? Not everything has equal importance and it's highly likely that you spend most of your day avoiding the important but managing to find time for the small, menial, unimportant tasks. Take a look at your list and highlight the important versus the relatively unimportant. How does each of your tasks relate to your business plan or objectives? Can you group similar tasks together and do them at the same time?

Get organised. When you've got a lot going on it helps to be organised, so you know what's where, what needs to be done and you can find things when you need them. Having written down your list, create a system, process and routine that will help you get things done.

What do you need to enable you to be more organised?
- daily planning
- have a routine
- create a structure
- organise your filing system
- put things away
- get up earlier
- go to bed earlier
- plan ahead
- delegate better

Step back. Sometimes when you're so caught up with everything you've got to do - you actually need to take a break from it all and get some perspective. Perhaps things won't look quite as bad when you put some space between you and them. It helps to do something completely different - switch off for a while and then go back to it.

Get help. You don't have to do everything all on your own - if you've got too much to do, what can you hand over to someone else to do for you? The chances are that much of your work isn't essential and you're not the only person that can do it.
- clearing email
- booking meetings
- making travel arrangements
- updating your accounts
- taking phone calls
- sending out invoices and reminders

It's important to know where you're starting from, so you can get back in control sooner rather than later. Take the Time Audit today and see where you need to focus first - just enter your details on the Time Audit form. Return your completed audit for free email feedback, tips and ideas.

Yield Sign (Photo credit: Rennett Stowe)

Newsletter: Turn your resolutions into habits that stick

At this time of year many of us set New Year Resolutions - you're going to lose weight, get fit, earn more money, learn how to do x.

Most will have quit by mid February and many give up before the end of the month or don't make it past week one.

Take your time

It takes 30 days or 30 repetitions to develop a new habit. So if at first you don't succeed, get yourself back on track and keep going.

Remember how long it took to drive a car or ride a bicycle - it was hard work at first and took a lot of attempts to get it right. Now you don't even think about what you're doing. It's become automatic.

- What would you like to do differently?
- How will you feel when you've achieved it?
- What will it look like?
- What one action can you take this week towards this?

Write it down ...

You can read the rest of the article "Turn your resolutions into habits ..." or subscribe to the free monthly newsletter - enter your details on the right and get "7 Essential Time Tips For Instant Results".

Using multiple email addresses to manage your email

What your email address says about your comput...

These days it's so easy to set up an email address that makes sense to have multiple email addresses for different reasons.

Using multiple email addresses is also a good way to sort and organise you email.

I'd definitely recommend using online email addresses and not limiting yourself to your internet provider. That way if you change providers you don't have to:

a) change your email address or
b) notify everyone each time your email address changes.
c) you can access your email from anywhere.

Definitely separate your personal and business email addresses.

You could also have a different email address for forums or membership sites. That way all email relating to a particular site ends up in one place and doesn't clog up your personal or business email addresses.

It's also a good idea to have a 'junk' email address - one you can use when you have to provide an email for a website but you're not sure if you trust it or if you're likely to end up on a never-ending mailing list. You can always change it later.

However many email addresses you have - it's easy enough to redirect or 'forward' them to just one place, so you're not having to log in to different email systems. I have my personal and business email addresses redirecting to Outlook or Mac Mail.

Use your preferred mail system to be the central point to access your various email addresses.

(Photo credit: Emilie Ogez)

Book Review: Mind-mapping - Tony Buzan

One of the best tools I ever learned was mind-mapping. Years ago I picked up a book by Tony Buzan and read about mind-mapping. I've used it in my corporate life, while studying and continue to use it in my own business.

I mainly use if for notes during workshops and seminars - it's much easier to create one or more mind maps than have pages of hand-written notes.

Ideally use as large a sheet of paper as possible on which to create your mind maps. However, I often use an A5 notebook and a series of coloured pens (if I have them with me).

I prefer to create mine by hand but there are several mind-mapping software applications out there now.

Pick up a copy of The Mind Map Book today and learn the simple techniques to create your own mind maps. There's also a Mind Maps For Business.

Why you need multiple domain email addresses

Use different domain email addresses to filter and sort your email.

Info@ is always useful and acts as a default for your website. Most websites will let you create at least 10 different email addresses.

Even if you're a small business it can be useful to have more than just the one.

sales@ - for any sales and order related emails.

enquiries@ - just for questions and enquiries.

myname@ - more personal and friendly than the generic info@

And please ... if you have a website - use your domain email addresses. Stop putting @hotmail and @btinternet email addresses on your business card.

Have a 'catchall' - set up your email so that if someone sends an email to your domain but you don't have that email address it redirects it anyway, rather getting bounced.

What other ideas do you have for different named email addresses?

Related articles:

What does your email address say about you? (Blog post)

(Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

How to get back on track after a break

You've been away for a few days, either on holiday or travelling and it's your first day back in the office.

It can take a while to settle back into your normal working routine, especially if it's been a shortened working week - it's easy to lose track of what day it is.

Here are a few tips to get you back on track:

Don't overload your first day back at work. Give yourself time to get back up to speed.

Avoid booking meetings on your first day so you have clear time for planning and catch-up.

Resist the temptation to just get on with the first thing that comes up. If you've been away travelling there will be added demands on your time and people wanting to catch-up.

Book short review meetings with direct reports to get you and your team back up to speed.

Take time to plan your day and the rest of the week. List out what you need to do - what's important for today. Prioritise the tasks and add them to your schedule.

Review your daily schedule - what meetings do you have booked in for this week. Set reminders ahead of time - you're less likely to miss appointments if you get a reminder in plenty of time or you review your schedule regularly.

Work in short bursts to clear an email or paper backlog. Don't get drawn into the detail - just quickly go through your Inbox or pile of paperwork and sort and prioritise it first before you deal with it.

Use a timer or app like FocusBooster to keep you on track.

overload (Photo credit: rent-a-moose)

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