Free yourself from the inbox shackles

Manar Al Hinai offers some advice on how to manage your email account more effectively to boost productivity at work.

I spend a large chunk of my working day using email: writing messages, replying to others, sending data and scheduling meetings. It has become an integral part of our professional lives and everything can grind to a halt if the email server goes down.

If I take a nap in the afternoon, it is normal to wake up to 10 to 15 emails that have come in during my hour-long rest. Responding to emails can be a chore in itself, especially when you are running a business and have customer care inquiries to attend to alongside your regular messages.

With email now accessible on our portable devices, some businesses have taken measures to protect employees from email clutter by managing their inboxes outside working hours. In 2011, Volkswagen announced that its servers would stop sending emails 30 minutes after an employee’s shift ends, and would start again half an hour before an employee starts work.

Time is of the essence, so to save time and avoid mental exhaustion from being a slave to your inbox 24 hours a day, here are some tips:

• Always fill in the subject line

This can help speed up the response time. For instance you could write: “Respond: latest offer”. Alternatively if it is an important email, highlight this in the subject line to prompt a fast response. An example would be: “Important: feedback needed today”. Avoid empty or vague subject lines that risk going unnoticed.

• Pre-write email responses

This works beautifully, especially when you receive similar inquiries or when you work in customer service. Google, for instance, allows for that option through its “canned responses” option. You could use it to respond to client emails to alert them that you have received their inquiry and will get back to them quickly. It serves the same purpose as an automatic reply. It also shows good customer service, as they know their email has been received.

• Provide context but keep it simple

Avoid writing lengthy emails and stick to the point. If you need your recipient to answer a number of questions, list them in bullet point format instead of writing them out within the email body. From experience, simple and to-the-point messages ensure a faster response.

• Group your emails

My inbox fills up fast and I sometimes need to refer back to previous conversations. What has been very helpful is creating different folders relevant to the topic or line of business to save received and sent emails into. It’s extremely useful for tracking messages further down the line. Personally, I have different folders for each client, and then a sub-folder if necessary. I also have separate folders for specific events, or any work departments I deal with regularly. I’ve trained my team members to do the same making it easier for all of us to trace emails when needed.

• Do not check your email all the time

If you can, mute the notification alert from your phone. Different studies suggest it is best to only check emails two to four times a day. Doing so avoids wasting time as checking and then responding to every email that pops in is far less productive. Instead direct that focus to other important aspects of your work.

• Leave no room for junk

Unsubscribe from newsletters that are irrelevant to you, and mark junk mails that clutter your inbox as spam.

• Don't forget to use the phone

If an email conversation goes back and forth more than a few times to agree on something, call your recipient to finalise matters. This will save time and move things on faster.

Emails are important aspects of our working life, especially when running a business. However, manage your inbox effectively and do not let managing emails take your attention away from key aspects of your business.

Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.

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