August 2, 2023 3 min to read

How to Turn Your Email from Time-Sink to Productivity-Booster

Turn Your Email into Productivity-Booster

Introduction

Emails play a crucial role in business communication, enabling effective correspondence with colleagues and clients. However, without careful management, your inbox can easily transform from a useful tool into a time-consuming distraction. In a report dating back to 2012, McKinsey found that professionals spent an average of 28% of their workday on emails. With the surge in digital communication since then, it’s clear how much time we invest in our inboxes.

If not managed properly, emails can hinder productivity, preventing valuable work from being accomplished. But fear not! In this post, we’ll explore strategies to structure your day, manage your inbox, compose effective emails, and implement policies that transform emailing into a productivity booster.

Don’t Let Email Dominate your Day

Effective email strategies start with robust time management techniques for your overall workday. This allows you to focus on essential tasks and integrate communication seamlessly.

Create a Task List for Your Day

Begin by creating to-do lists and tasks for your workday, outlining your most important goals and tasks. Whether done in the morning or the night before, this practice provides clarity on your priorities and how to achieve them.

Create Blocks of Time for Email and Blocks of Time for Work

Allocate specific time blocks for tasks and communication. Designate two 20 to 30-minute windows each day to handle your inbox. Structuring your email time prevents it from interfering with other critical tasks.

Remove Distractions and Notifications

Eliminate email notifications and other distractions to maintain focus and concentration on your work.

Effective Emailing Improves Productivity

When managing your inbox and crafting emails, consider the following tips to enhance productivity:

Apply a Priority Matrix

Use a priority matrix to categorize emails based on urgency and importance, allowing you to prioritize responses effectively.

• Do: Important and urgent - Address these emails promptly.
• Schedule: Important but not urgent - Postpone these emails for later using features like Snooze.
• Delegate: Urgent but not important - Assign emails that others can handle.
• Remove: Not important, not urgent - Delete irrelevant emails and unsubscribe from recurring non-essential messages.

Use Your Subject Line to Summarize

Craft clear and concise subject lines to communicate the purpose of your email, aiding recipients in prioritizing messages.

Be Concise with What You Write

Compose professional, concise emails with logical information and action points, ensuring efficient comprehension and prompt action.

Your Company Needs an Email Policy in Place

Establishing clear email policies enhances communication efficiency within your organization. Consider the following aspects:

How Should You Write? Formal vs. Professional

Distinguish between formal and professional tones in emails, providing guidelines for appropriate language and syntax.

Standard Response Time

Define specific response times for internal communication to streamline workflow and avoid unnecessary delays.

Think About Who the Email is Being Sent To

Implement a policy on email recipients, specifying who should be included based on their relevance to the message.

Is Email the Right Tool for the Job?

Encourage the use of appropriate communication tools for different scenarios, considering factors like complexity and the need for real-time interaction.

Make Sure You Have the Right Email Toolkit

Choose an email platform that streamlines inbox organization and supports repetitive tasks. Spike offers various tools for efficient email management, including Priority Inbox, Super Search, Conversational Email, Video Meetings, Groups, Online Notes, Tasks and To-Do Lists, Voice Messages, and a Calendar.

Summary

Navigating the challenges of digital communication requires ongoing effort. By implementing these tips for managing your day, organizing your inbox, and crafting effective emails, you can enhance productivity. Additionally, selecting the right platform for your business communication is crucial for optimizing efficiency.

To sum up, remember these four key tips for staying efficient and productive with your emails:

1. Don’t let email dominate your day.
2. Organize your inbox and structure your emails.
3. Create company policies to make emailing efficient.
4. Choose the right platform to support your business communications.