These best practices will support your efforts to keep your business e-mail box manageable, reduce the amount of storage required for duplicate information, and help keep your saved e-mails more secure.
Use links rather than attachments whenever possible. For internal e-mails, move large files to the server and send a link to the file on the server rather than attaching the file itself. Within the body of the e-mail: Right click > select hyperlink > locate your file > click “ok”
For large attachments (10 MB or over), consider setting them up as ftp links on your website that users can access without having to download the file through e-mail. Your e-mail relays across the Internet from server to server. Any server it touches may choose to limit the attachment size with or without notice. That means a large e-mail attachment may not get to its destination and you may not get a bounce-back message.
Keep your Inbox cleaned out. To start, sort e-mails on message size and delete all that are non-essential. Delete all duplicate e-mails or threads of e-mails that are not needed. (See tips below.)
In general:
• 50% of all e-mails can be deleted or filed
• 30% can be delegated or completed in less than two minutes
• 20% can be deferred to your Task List or Calendar to be completed later
Control the Size of Your Inbox
Although business e-mails must be retained, there are probably many e-mails (the occasional personal e-mail, for example) that can be deleted. Take steps to control your Inbox using these tips:
1. Set up a simple and effective e-mail reference system. Understand the difference
between reference information and action information and sort and store accordingly.
a. Reference information is for information only and can be stored in your reference
system – an e-mail folder or your My Documents folder, for example.
b. Action information requires further steps to complete. This can be stored on your
to-do list or calendar.
c. File reference information first, then use the next three steps to handle your
action information.
2. If possible, schedule daily, uninterrupted time to process and organize e-mail.
3. Process one item at a time, starting at the top. Filter however makes sense for you –
by date, by subject, or by sender of the message.
4. Use the “Four D’s for Decision Making” model. Decide what to do with each and
every message.
a. Delete It - Ask yourself these questions when deciding whether or not to delete
i. Does this message relate to a meaningful objective you’re currently
working on?
ii. Does the message contain information you can find elsewhere? If so, delete.
iii. Does the message contain information you will refer to within the next
six months?
iv. Does the message contain information you’re required to keep?
b. Do It (if it will take less than two minutes)
c. Delegate It – then delete the original message or move it into your e-mail
reference system.
d. Defer It
i. This may affect 20% of your e-mail.
ii. Messages can be turned into tasks by dragging them to the Task List
or drag it to the Calendar to turn it into an appointment.
Source: Microsoft at Work
CRU Solutions helps small and medium-sized enterprises select and manage the right computer technology. Contact Janet Gehring at janet.gehring@crusolutions.com or 440-325-4061 to learn more.