Category: email systems

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Are you ready for the ‘final four’ months of 2012?

This is it.

With fall knocking on our doorstep, we “grab the last days of summer” while we can. Suddenly it’s 50 degrees when we wake.  Then, humidity comes back, soothing us like a warm, cozy jacket. But we know it won’t last. Alas, the “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” are gone, or, just about gone.

Now is the time to speed up. Fall sports. School.  College.  Everyone is back from summer vacation.

Before I began EpS, I worked for many years as a landscape architect. Most of the population assumed that summer was “our busy time” and the fall brought in relief. Actually, it was the opposite. Many of our clients were tied to higher education. Right about now, the phone started ringing. Inevitably, big deadlines were set around the holidays in December.  Even homeowners liked to see that “last project” done before the weather turned.

How do your “final four” months of the year look? Are you ready? Are your systems in place? Are you on track with your financial plan and year-end goals? It’s not too late. Start with testing yourself against these 8 points, to round out the eighth month of the year:

  1. How are your “books” looking? Have they suffered from a lack of summer income? What do you need to do NOW so that your 2012 will be a “happy place” come year end? Check out these 3 tips: http://www.accountancyextra.co.uk/3-quick-bookkeeping-tips
  2. Have you lost touch with any clients over the summer? Now is the perfect time to reconnect. Try a personal, handwritten card. You will stand out.
  3. How are your files looking? Are you behind? Assuming you have a busy autumn/last quarter in store, this often-overlooked area of life becomes critical. Carve out 30 minutes a day to pull your filing systems back together before it becomes unmanageable and something gets lost through the cracks.
  4. Is your computer “old?” Will you need to replace your desktop, laptop, ipad, iphone, blackberry soon? Now is the time to set aside a little capital for that year-end purchase.
  5. How effective is your computer backup system? Just 7 days without a backup can cost you thousands of dollars in headaches and lost information. I strongly suggest “cloud” backup software such as: http://www.carbonite.com/en/ or http://mozy.com/home
  6. How will you reconnect with all those contacts you are making at the Business After Hours? Who did you say you’d talk to “in a few months?” If you don’t have a CRM (Customer Relations Management Software) it’s time to develop a system that works for you. If you use Microsoft Outlook on a regular basis, try this one: http://www.avidian.com/
  7. How are your “home systems” working? Do you have to leave earlier in the morning these days? Is everyone getting out the door with ease, or is it a struggle? Do you have a system for cleaning, laundry, shopping, and meals? Try http://flylady.net/.  You, your student, and your family will soar with her simple principles.
  8. Most importantly, take a little time each day for yourself. This might entail going for a short walk at lunchtime when you think you don’t have time, or it could be just closing your eyes in the car for 5 minutes before you pick up your child from childcare. Remember, when we cheat ourselves, we cannot be at our best for our clients, families, and friends. You are the most important person in your life. Treat yourself with love and respect.

Here’s to a productive, happy, and healthy balance of 2012!

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email systems Get Organized More time in my day prioritize productivity in the workplace Time strategies

How do I fit in another task?

More than a To-Do List: Finding the Truly Important

Recently I had the pleasure of finding more time for a busy manager in a local city. His issues were:

  • Too much email;
  • Task Management- desire to wear his “many hats” better;
  • Consistent follow-though;
  • Desire for strategies to make better use of his assistant.

Together, we talked about his specific situation. Where were pieces of his life falling through the cracks? Since he works in sales and marketing, it is critical that he follow up in a timely and consistent manner with his customers and potential customers. Sometimes this would happen, and sometimes it would not. Although his company seemed to be doing well, I was wondering how much better it might be doing if he were able to bridge this gap.

We worked together for a few sessions, over Skype and in person. Right away- in the first session- we addressed email overload and developed strategies that would specifically work for him to overcome his specific needs. Then, we dug a little deeper. Asking questions that cause a person to really step back begins to bring “holistic productivity” into view.

Sometimes, it’s not about fitting another task between the cracks. It’s not about crossing another item off the to-do list. It’s about creating your life in such a way that the most important things are not only done, but done well. My client commented that it’s been some time since he’d “really” focused on doing something exceptionally. With his many commitments, he had become more focused on crossing things off the list.

Great leaders and great thinkers move far beyond a to-do list. Productivity for the sake of getting more done is okay, but does it make your heart sing? When you encounter the place where your true desires meet the everyday, you have found your sweet spot.

Productivity can be your portal to life change, if you dare to walk through.

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email systems EpS Events file systems Get Organized GO system More time in my day prioritize productivity in the workplace project systems Time strategies

It’s GO time in Concord with “the GO girl”

If you’ve been waiting for “right time, right price” to Boost Your Productivity, you’ll want to register for the GO (Get Organized) class that runs on Friday 5/4 in Concord, NH.  Register through the EpS website here. LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS THIS WEDNESDAY MAY 2nd. Two slots are available at the time of this writing.
In 1/2 day, you’ll find ways to save 5 to 11 weeks of time per year!

Some comments from recent students:
“I can’t thank you enough for being the catalyst and causing the scales to drop from my eyes”
– from a banker in the Lake Sunapee Region

“I have become much more cognizant of starting many projects without completion. I am far more efficient now.”
– from a teacher in NH

“I loved your class yesterday. Felt I left your office with renewed energy, and a pocket full of ideas to easy those busy days in my life as a REALTOR.”
– from (you guessed it) a realtor in the Lake Sunapee Region

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email systems Get Organized More time in my day prioritize productivity in the workplace Time strategies

A primary offender: interruption by email

Email OOOH-Verload: The 3 P’s to a not-so-Pretty Situation

There is no shortage of information available “out there” about email overload and processing.  As a consultant who routinely helps professionals to overcome Overwhelm, I was somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of information I found before writing this article!

That said, this paper boils down the Gems- the critical tidbits- to keep in mind when trying to tame the email beast.  They can be called “The Three P’s”

  1. Process it, regularly;
  2. Prioritize it;
  3. Be Pointed when using it.

If you receive 100 emails a day, and spend 3 minutes for each email, you are spending 300 minutes per day on email. That’s 5 hours of your 8 hour workday.  And you are wondering why you are not “getting anything done?” So let’s move right into the first P, Process.

Process it

You have heard this one before…and it’s so good that it is tip number one.  Check your emails at defined times of the day only. Why, you may ask?  You may be saying, ”there might be something of critical importance coming!” If something is that critical and time sensitive, ask the sender to pick up the phone and alert you. The benefit for you will be uninterrupted, productive, focused time spent on your projects at hand before ”The Emergency” comes flying into your computer. The most effective, efficient people work in “Quadrant Two” – important but not urgent tasks – during a large portion of their day. For more on the Quadrants, see Steve Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People book. Some companies establish certain blocks in the day when employees are expected to process email. Email culture then, should be an integral part of overall office culture, and expectations must be clear.

When you decide that it is time to Process your email, don’t forget the Two Minute Rule. If it takes less than two minutes to respond, just respond. Otherwise, make a decision about how you will handle it. These days, many people are using google mail. GTDinbox (http://gtdgmail.com) is free and adds on to gmail if you are using the firefox browser.  With this tool, as new email arrives, you are prompted to “do something” with your email so it does not pile up in your inbox. This is based on David Allen’s highly popular book, Getting Things Done.

Prioritize It

It can be said that you cannot Manage your Time, but you can Manage Decisions around how you are going to Spend Your Time. Use this philosophy with email. If email number 201 helps you move forward on a project, ignore the other 200. Of course, at some point you’ll need to process those other 200+ messages (so they do not sit precariously in your inbox, hiding the important mail). See previous paragraph for advice in that category.

But wait – didn’t you just say to ignore an email? My client expects immediate response!  In business, we must manage our client’s expectations. Many times, an urgent question can be fielded by an associate or an assistant.  One idea is to use your “signature file” to expressly convey when and how emails will be answered. Most customers simply want to know what to expect.

Be Pointed

Pointed is the 3rd and final P of this article. By pointed, I mean short and sweet. If you have a lot to say, pick up the phone. Try limiting your email messages to five sentences or less. Try communicating very explicitly in the subject line.

That said, it is wise to avoid the urge to reply to an email with “thanks” or “ok” unless the recipient specifically asked you to confirm. This will eliminate many unnecessary messages in the inbox.

Don’t forget a golden rule: Agreements are written, disagreements spoken. That is, never try to solve a disagreement by email. If you have ever tried doing this, you will understand why it is NOT a good idea. This will avoid many longer emails also.

If you want to find a time that works for multiple people in a group, try http://doodle.com.  It’s free, and will eliminate many annoying “back and forth” emails when trying to arrive at a mutually convenient date and time.

In Closing

The solution to email OHHH! Verload is simple. The practice can be difficult. Email is a habit, and we humans live by our habits. For help changing these habits, try http://habitchange.com, or seek the services of a productivity consultant!

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