Darwin Magazine has posted seven tips for getting control of email. Their tips are worth a look, but most interesting is their final recommendation:
"At the end each day, businesspeople should see where e-mail was
effective and where it was a time-waster or diverted focus from
business objectives. If a pattern can be determined, the manager then
has an opportunity to change it for the better. Even more important,
this can identify where the manager can cut down on time spent on
e-mail, providing more time for a business activity that may matter
more."
If you feel like the purpose of your day is to answer and send email, you’re missing the point of the technology. Whether you use Darwin’s or any other sources’ tips for handling email, get yourself an email management strategy.
[Thanks to Cutting Through for the pointer – they have linked to some of their own ideas for tackling messages.]