WorkSmart - Get More Done
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Welcome to the
WorkSmart course. Ten simple modules
to transform you into a ‘Smart Worker’. Each module focuses on a different area of a productive work life and so each module should be digested by itself. Take your time and devour each module slowly, there is no rush. Soon you will have more hours than you know what to do with. Here’s to your free time.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Email Excellence Effectiveness Extraordinaire Instant Irresistibility Perfect Productivity Super Sleeper Army Awesomeness Super SpeedReader Powerful Persuader Super Systematic Champion Closer WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Email Excellence 6 Tips To Reduce Your Email By 90%
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
The modern workplace can be a hectic, stressful and email-filled environment...but it doesn’t have to be. If you suffer from email overload, and can’t seem to keep on top of the inflow of information, requests, demands and spam, then this is an essential read for you. Using these tips, people have been able to reduce their email from hundreds per day to less than twenty.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
1. Stop checking your email every 5 minutes Nothing in life is that important. Not clients, not problems, not England winning the world cup.
No matter how important you think you are there is never a need for people to always have instant access to you. If you don’t believe me, go on holiday for a week and don’t reply to any emails. People work out ways around you if the need is great enough, even personal clients will forgive you if you are honest with them. Try to only check your emails once a day. Most people have an inflated sense of worth which is why they think they are so important everyone must has access to them. Sorry guys, life does go on without you so learn to use this fact to your advantage. Let your emails batch up and only check them at a certain time for a specific amount of time.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
2. Stop Reading ALL Your Email Not everything you get emailed needs to be read...so don’t. Look past how important you think you are, instead think about the amount of emails you actually have to answer - the ones sent solely to you, or solely for your action. Usually in any business, this amounts to very few. Get into the habit of only answering emails that are sent directly to you, only you, that will need actioning by you and only you. These are the priority, anything else can wait or be ignored.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
3. Set Up Email Rules Rule 1: Any email directed to you, and only you, highlight in RED - These are the ones you HAVE to answer and should be the only ones that appeared directly in your inbox. Here is how to do it in (Outlook),
Rule 2: Any email directed to you, AND another person, highlight in BLUE and send to a “Potential Box” These emails are more often than not answered by the other guy / girl and never come back to you. However, if there is an issue you still have easy access to the emails and the subsequent information.
Rule 3: Any email that you are CC’d on send straight to an “Information Folder”. Never looked at them unless someone specifically emails you on a subject relating to them. Information is easily found using the search function. People are competent if you trust them, you don’t need to micromanage every last email. Try and oversee, not control, as much email as possible.
Rule 4: Write a professional email responder that lets people know how you operate To learn how to set up rules type “email rules” into your mail help search bar.
in emails. An example would be: “Thank you for your email. If this email was sent solely for my attention I will get back to you within 24 hours. If the matter is urgent please resend the email and begin the subject text with URGENT:. If there are others that this email has been sent to then you can expect an answer from them within 24 hours. If I have been CC’d into this email, please be aware that I will not be responding to it. Thank you.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
4. Get People Talking... ...to each other. During office hours you can get caught up in lots of office love triangles ( and not the good ones ) between clients, suppliers, internal staff and a host of others, along with the odd intern. These love triangles are birthed and developed through email. Cut it out quickly.
If everything comes though you at each interaction, you create “lost in translation” problems. Becoming a glorified data transferrer is a waste of your precious time. This problem can be easily removed by SETTING UP POLICIES where people email each other, and CC you into the conversations. If there is a problem, you can review the details. Nine times in ten things go smoothly. Learn to smile and talk to people and very rarely does this approach cause problems
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
5. Send Concise Emails In the age of easy, and instant, communication we have lost the art of being concise. Ask for what you want. Back when a letter between businesses would take two weeks to turn around, it was important to write well so that there was no confusion on what was needed and by when, how and by whom.
Today, we have lost the art of being concise. Get back into the habit. Don’t just send emails for the sake of it. Don’t CC everyone in on it. Know what the aim of the email is, and be concise. Email the correct person, and only others if completely necessary. Include all the necessary detail so it doesn’t come bouncing back within twenty minutes asking you to clarify.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
6. Weed Out The Trouble There are always people in business that just love emails, and sending them. These are the trouble makers. These people will send emails in the early hours of the morning, CC’ing every in on it, or ask stupid questions and reply with one word answers. These are the people that start calling you then send repeat emails if you don’t get back to them within twenty minutes. They have far too much time on their hands and are a pain in the backside.
Create a special folder for the troublemakers and start to slowly phasing them out by ignoring them or creating rules that send messages received from them to designated “Time Waster” folders.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Final Thought Email does not have to control your life. Spend some time setting up the rules and stay disciplined in controlling your inbox.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
The Author Jonny Gibaud is a british entrepreneur, speaker and author. Find out more about him at JonnyGibaud.com and read other books by Jonny at JNGibaud.com.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Welcome to the
WorkSmart course. Ten simple modules
to transform you into a ‘Smart Worker’. Each module focuses on a different area of a productive work life and so each module should be digested by itself. Take your time and devour each module slowly, there is no rush. Soon you will have more hours than you know what to do with. Here’s to your free time.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Email Excellence Effectiveness Extraordinaire Instant Irresistibility Perfect Productivity Super Sleeper Army Awesomeness Super SpeedReader Powerful Persuader Super Systematic Champion Closer WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Email Excellence 6 Tips To Reduce Your Email By 90%
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
The modern workplace can be a hectic, stressful and email-filled environment...but it doesn’t have to be. If you suffer from email overload, and can’t seem to keep on top of the inflow of information, requests, demands and spam, then this is an essential read for you. Using these tips, people have been able to reduce their email from hundreds per day to less than twenty.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
1. Stop checking your email every 5 minutes Nothing in life is that important. Not clients, not problems, not England winning the world cup.
No matter how important you think you are there is never a need for people to always have instant access to you. If you don’t believe me, go on holiday for a week and don’t reply to any emails. People work out ways around you if the need is great enough, even personal clients will forgive you if you are honest with them. Try to only check your emails once a day. Most people have an inflated sense of worth which is why they think they are so important everyone must has access to them. Sorry guys, life does go on without you so learn to use this fact to your advantage. Let your emails batch up and only check them at a certain time for a specific amount of time.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
2. Stop Reading ALL Your Email Not everything you get emailed needs to be read...so don’t. Look past how important you think you are, instead think about the amount of emails you actually have to answer - the ones sent solely to you, or solely for your action. Usually in any business, this amounts to very few. Get into the habit of only answering emails that are sent directly to you, only you, that will need actioning by you and only you. These are the priority, anything else can wait or be ignored.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
3. Set Up Email Rules Rule 1: Any email directed to you, and only you, highlight in RED - These are the ones you HAVE to answer and should be the only ones that appeared directly in your inbox. Here is how to do it in (Outlook),
Rule 2: Any email directed to you, AND another person, highlight in BLUE and send to a “Potential Box” These emails are more often than not answered by the other guy / girl and never come back to you. However, if there is an issue you still have easy access to the emails and the subsequent information.
Rule 3: Any email that you are CC’d on send straight to an “Information Folder”. Never looked at them unless someone specifically emails you on a subject relating to them. Information is easily found using the search function. People are competent if you trust them, you don’t need to micromanage every last email. Try and oversee, not control, as much email as possible.
Rule 4: Write a professional email responder that lets people know how you operate To learn how to set up rules type “email rules” into your mail help search bar.
in emails. An example would be: “Thank you for your email. If this email was sent solely for my attention I will get back to you within 24 hours. If the matter is urgent please resend the email and begin the subject text with URGENT:. If there are others that this email has been sent to then you can expect an answer from them within 24 hours. If I have been CC’d into this email, please be aware that I will not be responding to it. Thank you.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
4. Get People Talking... ...to each other. During office hours you can get caught up in lots of office love triangles ( and not the good ones ) between clients, suppliers, internal staff and a host of others, along with the odd intern. These love triangles are birthed and developed through email. Cut it out quickly.
If everything comes though you at each interaction, you create “lost in translation” problems. Becoming a glorified data transferrer is a waste of your precious time. This problem can be easily removed by SETTING UP POLICIES where people email each other, and CC you into the conversations. If there is a problem, you can review the details. Nine times in ten things go smoothly. Learn to smile and talk to people and very rarely does this approach cause problems
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
5. Send Concise Emails In the age of easy, and instant, communication we have lost the art of being concise. Ask for what you want. Back when a letter between businesses would take two weeks to turn around, it was important to write well so that there was no confusion on what was needed and by when, how and by whom.
Today, we have lost the art of being concise. Get back into the habit. Don’t just send emails for the sake of it. Don’t CC everyone in on it. Know what the aim of the email is, and be concise. Email the correct person, and only others if completely necessary. Include all the necessary detail so it doesn’t come bouncing back within twenty minutes asking you to clarify.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
6. Weed Out The Trouble There are always people in business that just love emails, and sending them. These are the trouble makers. These people will send emails in the early hours of the morning, CC’ing every in on it, or ask stupid questions and reply with one word answers. These are the people that start calling you then send repeat emails if you don’t get back to them within twenty minutes. They have far too much time on their hands and are a pain in the backside.
Create a special folder for the troublemakers and start to slowly phasing them out by ignoring them or creating rules that send messages received from them to designated “Time Waster” folders.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
Final Thought Email does not have to control your life. Spend some time setting up the rules and stay disciplined in controlling your inbox.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
The Author Jonny Gibaud is a british entrepreneur, speaker and author. Find out more about him at JonnyGibaud.com and read other books by Jonny at JNGibaud.com.
WorkSmart - Get More Done Copyright ©2010 J N Gibaud
