The sheer volume of electronic messages arriving in computer in-boxes, cell phones, and hand-held devices can leave school administrators and Board members feeling overwhelmed. Here are some easy tips to help you control e-mails, save time, and increase your productivity.
- Don’t check e-mail when you first start work. Experts say you should address an important task-at-hand before checking e-mail. This way, you don’t use e-mail as an excuse for postponing more pressing obligations.
- Check your e-mail in batches rather than constantly throughout the day. Some experts suggest checking e-mail twice a day; others, up to five times. The important goal is efficiency.
- Limit sending e-mail. Sending less means receiving less. Succinct messages generally garner shorter responses; keep it simple, not chatty.
- Delete your entire in-box. Save your most important communications in appropriate folders, and then get rid of the rest.
- Use other forms of communication. E-mail is often the standard communication in the workplace, but in some cases it’s not the most appropriate or efficient. Pick up the phone if an e-mail thread goes beyond three back and forths.
