Hate managing email? This list of tricks can help.
I have nearly 21,000 email messages in my inbox. I don't file, archive, or delete anything.
Think this hands-off approach is a bloody mess? Personally, I think
my approach is working--I try to touch email messages as few times as
possible, spend zero time organizing them and feel confident if I ever
need to search for a keyword or for someone who works at a particular
company, Gmail's search capabilities can find it in my massive pile.
Yet I'm doing it all wrong, according to email-filtering service
Sanebox, which advises the opposite strategy--one in which you let its
algorithms sift through all your messages and organize them neatly into
manageable folders that do all sorts of neat tricks. I've tried it, and it is, indeed, slick.
In fact, the folks at Sanebox argue that keeping all your mail in
your inbox is "terrible for your productivity," the company opined in a
really helpful (and entertaining) list of 100 email hacks it recently compiled.
Here's a round-up of the company's best tips.
Turn off notifications.
You're humming along with work swimmingly and you hear it--the ping
on your phone that tells you an email just landed in your inbox. Now
you're curious, so you hop in there to see who it's from and your
productivity just stopped dead still. Unless you're waiting for some
time-sensitive critical message, don't give yourself an excuse to keep
checking email. Silence notifications wherever you're getting them
(including visual popups on the desktop). A better bet is to set aside a
few times during the day to deal with email.
Never unsubscribe from suspicious emails.
Hate spam? One way to get even more of it is to hit an unsubscribe
link in a message you're not sure why you're getting. If you do, you
could end up at a website where you're asked to input your email address
to confirm your desire to unsubscribe. Now the spammer has verified
your email address (it was only a guess that landed the original message
in your inbox) and can sell it to others who will barrage you with
messages.
Don't use images in your signature.
Sometimes people are looking for a particular file and filter their
messages according to which ones include attachments. By including an
image (which becomes an attachment) in your signature you're actually
mucking up their search results. Plus, tossing around unnecessary
graphics is a waste of bandwidth.
Don't use email to discuss a difficult subject.
If someone at work needs straightening out, don't do it on email,
particularly if there's a chance the discussion could become contentious
or if someone could be hurt or offended. It's much easier to gauge
someone's emotions and respond appropriately on the phone, via video
chat, or even better, in person.
Never email your credit card information.
Unencrypted email is not secure so you don't want to use it to
communicate any kind of confidential information. For one thing, a
message may have to cross any number of networks before a recipient gets
it, and once it arrives how will that person store it? What if their
system is compromised?
Forget about attachments and use links instead.
Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, and the like are great
because you can share a file with others and as soon as someone makes an
edit to it, the change is viewable by everyone who has access.
Attachments, on the other hand, are static--if you find yourself in an
email volley including various iterations of the same document things
can get confusing. With a URL linking to the cloud, however, version
control isn't a worry.
Stop scanning and faxing.
If you've ever been emailed a contract to physically sign and return
to someone, you know what a pain this can be. You either have to print
it out and find an actual fax machine, or take the time to scan, save,
and attach each page into an email.
Instead, use an online fax service such as Hello Fax. The first five pages are free; after that plans start at $10 a month.
Amp your network right inside email.
Rapportive is a free tool for
Gmail users that adds a sidebar to each message you receive that shows
you what the person looks like, information about what they do, where
they're located, as well as what social networks they use. The best part
is this: Directly within the window you can send a LinkedIn connection
invitation, add someone to a Google+ circle, follow him or her on
Twitter, or friend them on Facebook.
Fill in the recipient last.
There's nothing worse than accidentally sending a message before you
intend to. Save yourself this embarrassment by leaving the "To" field
empty until your missive is perfect. Gmail users can also use Google's
"Undo Send" feature which gives you a few seconds after you hit send to
change your mind. To turn it on, go to settings (the cog on the right of
your Gmail window), then Labs, where you'll find the feature plus a
slew of others you might find helpful.
Use an unguessable password that's different for each account.
You've heard this one before, but it bears repeating because lots of
people still get in trouble for not heeding this advice. Your email
password absolutely has to be one that someone can't guess and one that
you don't use with any other account.
To ensure it can't be guessed, use the first letters of a memorable
phrase, such as yamsmosymmhwsag, a 15-character password (longer is
better) taken from "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me
happy when skies are gray."
Another trick: Think of a two-word phrase at least eight characters
long that you can remember, such as "SteakBurrito" and pepper it with
symbols that look like letters, like this: St3@kBurr!t0. Then, for each
site that you need a unique password, take the first and fourth letter
of the site and stick it in the middle of your skeleton key. So, for
Facebook, your password would be St3@kfeBurr!t0.
And don't store all your various passwords on paper or in a file somewhere but in a password manager such as LastPass. Not only can the service generate unique passwords, it's free and available as a plugin for all the major browsers.
http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/10-ways-to-make-email-better.html
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
3/15/13
10 Reasons to Pick Up the Phone Now
Today fewer people get on the phone, preferring to text, chat, and
e-mail. Here are 10 scenarios where a live voice is still the best
option.
I've noticed recently that the Millennial generation's trend of phone avoidance is quickly spreading to people of all ages. It started with smartphones. Texting replaced leaving voicemails and whole conversations now take place with our thumbs. Calling someone has now become low on the communication priority list and even frequently disparaged.
Certainly written communication has its advantages.
1. When You Need Immediate Response
The problem with text or e-mail is you never know when someone will get back to you. You like to think the other person is sitting there waiting for your message, but it's not always true. These days when someone sees your name on the ringing phone, they know you are making an extra effort to speak to them. Of course if they are truly busy, in a meeting, sleeping, or hiding from you, the caller ID will tip them off and you go to voicemail, which they rarely check anyway. At least now you can express yourself with heartfelt emotion.
2. When You Have Complexity with Multiple People
My wife Van was recently coordinating an overseas engagement for me and there were six different people in multiple time zones involved in the logistics. After five cryptic e-mail conversations that created more confusion, she was literally screaming at the computer. Finally I suggested a conference call. In 30 minutes, all questions were answered, everyone was aligned, and Van went from frustrated to relieved. She is now a newly recruited phone advocate.
3. When You Don't Want a Written Record Due to Sensitivity
You never know who will see an e-mail or a text. True, phone calls can be recorded...but not legally in most states without prior notification or a judge's order. Unless you are absolutely comfortable with your message getting into anyone's hands, best to use the phone for conversations that require discretion.
4. When the Emotional Tone is Ambiguous, But Shouldn't Be
Sometimes a smiley face is not enough to convey real emotion. Emoticons help broadly frame emotional context, but when people's feelings are at stake it's best to let them hear exactly where you are coming from. Otherwise they will naturally assume the worst.
5. When There is Consistent Confusion
Most people don't like to write long e-mails and most don't like to read them. So when there are lots of details that create confusion, phone calls work efficiently to bring clarity. First of all, you can speak about 150 words per minute, and most people don't type that fast. Second, questions can be answered in context so you don't end up with an endless trail of back and forth question and answers.
6. When There is Bad News
This should be obvious, but sadly many people will take a cowardly approach to sharing difficult news. Don't be one of those callous people. Make it about the other person and not you. Humanize the situation with empathy they can hear.
7. When There is Very Important News
Good or bad, if there is significance to information, the receiver needs to understand the importance beyond a double exclamation point. Most likely they will have immediate questions and you should be ready to provide context to prevent unwanted conclusions.
8. When Scheduling is Difficult
After going back and forth multiple times with a colleague's assistant trying to find an available date and time, I finally just called her. Now I didn't have to worry that the time slot would be filled by the time she read my e-mail. We just spoke with calendars in hand and completed in five minutes what had exasperated us over three days. Later that day I watched one of my foodie friends spend 20 frustrated minutes using Open Table and finally suggested he simply call the restaurant. In three minutes he had a reservation and a slightly embarrassed smile.
9. When There is a Hint of Anger, Offense, or Conflict in the Exchange
Written messages can often be taken the wrong way. If you see a message that suggests any kind of problem, don't let it fester--or worse try and repair it--with more unemotional communication. Pick up the phone and resolve the issue before it spirals out of control.
10. When a Personal Touch Will Benefit
Anytime you want to connect emotionally with someone and face-to-face is not possible, use the phone. Let them hear the care in your voice and the appreciation in your heart.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-reasons-to-pick-up-the-phone-now.html
I've noticed recently that the Millennial generation's trend of phone avoidance is quickly spreading to people of all ages. It started with smartphones. Texting replaced leaving voicemails and whole conversations now take place with our thumbs. Calling someone has now become low on the communication priority list and even frequently disparaged.
Certainly written communication has its advantages.
- You can get your message out whether or not the other person is available.
- You can respond without concern for time zones or sleep patterns.
- You don't have to waste time with unwanted chatty gossip.
1. When You Need Immediate Response
The problem with text or e-mail is you never know when someone will get back to you. You like to think the other person is sitting there waiting for your message, but it's not always true. These days when someone sees your name on the ringing phone, they know you are making an extra effort to speak to them. Of course if they are truly busy, in a meeting, sleeping, or hiding from you, the caller ID will tip them off and you go to voicemail, which they rarely check anyway. At least now you can express yourself with heartfelt emotion.
2. When You Have Complexity with Multiple People
My wife Van was recently coordinating an overseas engagement for me and there were six different people in multiple time zones involved in the logistics. After five cryptic e-mail conversations that created more confusion, she was literally screaming at the computer. Finally I suggested a conference call. In 30 minutes, all questions were answered, everyone was aligned, and Van went from frustrated to relieved. She is now a newly recruited phone advocate.
3. When You Don't Want a Written Record Due to Sensitivity
You never know who will see an e-mail or a text. True, phone calls can be recorded...but not legally in most states without prior notification or a judge's order. Unless you are absolutely comfortable with your message getting into anyone's hands, best to use the phone for conversations that require discretion.
4. When the Emotional Tone is Ambiguous, But Shouldn't Be
Sometimes a smiley face is not enough to convey real emotion. Emoticons help broadly frame emotional context, but when people's feelings are at stake it's best to let them hear exactly where you are coming from. Otherwise they will naturally assume the worst.
5. When There is Consistent Confusion
Most people don't like to write long e-mails and most don't like to read them. So when there are lots of details that create confusion, phone calls work efficiently to bring clarity. First of all, you can speak about 150 words per minute, and most people don't type that fast. Second, questions can be answered in context so you don't end up with an endless trail of back and forth question and answers.
6. When There is Bad News
This should be obvious, but sadly many people will take a cowardly approach to sharing difficult news. Don't be one of those callous people. Make it about the other person and not you. Humanize the situation with empathy they can hear.
7. When There is Very Important News
Good or bad, if there is significance to information, the receiver needs to understand the importance beyond a double exclamation point. Most likely they will have immediate questions and you should be ready to provide context to prevent unwanted conclusions.
8. When Scheduling is Difficult
After going back and forth multiple times with a colleague's assistant trying to find an available date and time, I finally just called her. Now I didn't have to worry that the time slot would be filled by the time she read my e-mail. We just spoke with calendars in hand and completed in five minutes what had exasperated us over three days. Later that day I watched one of my foodie friends spend 20 frustrated minutes using Open Table and finally suggested he simply call the restaurant. In three minutes he had a reservation and a slightly embarrassed smile.
9. When There is a Hint of Anger, Offense, or Conflict in the Exchange
Written messages can often be taken the wrong way. If you see a message that suggests any kind of problem, don't let it fester--or worse try and repair it--with more unemotional communication. Pick up the phone and resolve the issue before it spirals out of control.
10. When a Personal Touch Will Benefit
Anytime you want to connect emotionally with someone and face-to-face is not possible, use the phone. Let them hear the care in your voice and the appreciation in your heart.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-reasons-to-pick-up-the-phone-now.html
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