Gerald MetzgerDirector| PwCPalm Bch Gdns, Fl, United States
I am wondering how other PMs manage their e-mails and how often you check/answer your e-mails each day and do you keep your e-mail open while writing i. e. reports or doing other work? Saving Changes...
Emails! full time job! inbox over 100 emails a day could become a nightmare and literally absorb your time diverting you away from PM work -
It is about priorities the ones that are marked urgent will need attention ASAP - even in the workplace we get junk mails...
My way is first thing in the morning is to check emails, select the ones I am expecting a response and the ones marked as high priority, the others can wait until later just before lunch time when things are much calmer.
E-mail is always open, but if I am working on PM documents, reports etc will not get destructed need to be focused to make progress.
E-mail less, walk the job, communicate face to face - emailing is just another tool and if used properly is very dynamic but it could also be a hinderence.
Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I check my emails in the morning and respond or file anything that can be processed quickly. My email box acts as a to do list, but also a 'check up on other people' list. If I've been cc'd on a mail asking someone to do something, I'll hold on to it in my inbox for a while to follow up with them that the task has been done.
I also get a lot of newsletters and circulars - I unsubscribe or delete the ones that are irrelevant and scan those that I feel are useful.
I try to work on the basis of 'one touch' i.e. I'll open an email and deal with it straight away. That way my inbox is always less than 100 messages. And, as Vasoula says, don't use email where a phone call or a face-to-face discussion will do. Saving Changes...
Huw EvansSenior Manager, Projects and Partnerships| Vicinity CentresMount Waverley, Vic, Australia
Hi Gerald,
Similar to Elizabeth, I tend to keep emails in my in-box if I have an activity to complete, or if I want to remember to follow up an item. However, I'll only do this with emails less than a week old. If an email is hanging around my in-box for more than that, I make a task item to follow up and file the email (I use toodledo to manage my tasks, it's excellent).
I try and bulk process my emails, three or four times a day. Always at start and end of day - and then in-between other meetings and work items.
I do often close down email if I need dedicated time to work on a specific item, as that little "you've got new mail" icon is often too hard to resist. I also book meetings for myself and take my laptop off the network into a meeting room to get a particular work item completed.
- Huw Saving Changes...
Hans RobbersSenior Director| SalesforceVlissingen, Netherlands
Agree with the previous writers. I do recognise a growing e-mail traffic since teams are more and more working from home or various locations. Instead of using e-mail for everything try to use skype and/or messenger to discuss the topics.
My inbox should act as a to-do list as well with over 100 messages a day i am now looking in classifying and grouping mail so there is a fast access to the info
hopes this helps Hans Saving Changes...
Alan CaseySenior Project Manager| Ford Motor Credit CompanyDewitt, Mi, United States
Good Question.
My email app is always open - but I never run notify (or anything that alerts me to incomming mail. I try to train my team to use the best media for a specific message. IM or Cell Phone when they need me right away (and only if they really need me right away). Email is for documented decisions and file transmittals (sending links to files stored on the project's file repository).
I save everything that could be relevent later - I do this by archiving out of my inbox as soon as I deal with a message. I attempt to OHIO - Only Handle it Once.
I use search on my archived emails at least daily to find sometimes very old stuff that has once again become relevant to my project.
Hope this helps.
Alan Saving Changes...
Masood AhemedPMP and PRINCE2 ICT Senior Project Manager. | Looking for new assignments, can join immediately. Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
We use Office communicator more and email only for purpose of documentation. Saving Changes...
