QUESTION: I'm crushed by e-mail. If I leave my desk for five minutes, 10 more come in. Some -- not all -- need immediate attention, but it's hard to create realistic expectations and keep from getting distracted. What can I do?
ANSWER: Self-discipline, communication, and a plan will get you through.
Start with a deep breath. You'll be able to figure out when to switch gears and when to defer, and you'll improve your ability to focus as a result. But that'll happen only if you can relax. Your level of resistance and frustration can become a second, even bigger, barrier to productivity.
Do you know what you'd like to accomplish on any given day? Distractions like e-mail are more apt to overtake you if you lack focus. Each day, start by planning what you'd like to accomplish by the end of the day.
Then, be clear about what e-mails you're likely to receive that you need to achieve your goals or that are truly time-sensitive. Hint: just because the sender puts URGENT in the header doesn't mean that it is. One of the problems with e-mail is that they all show up, untriaged, with equal weight in your inbox. But you know what is truly important, such as decisions you're awaiting on projects, and can learn to discern them more easily.
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Now for your plan. The suggestion to check e-mail at set times often gets rejected because there are things warranting immediate attention. However, this approach does not need to be "all or nothing." If you need to be attuned to the flow of e-mail, try keeping your alerts turned on so that you see what is coming in. But here's where the self-discipline enters. If it's one of your "hot list" items, attend to it right away. If it isn't -- and most won't be -- ignore it or file it in a "needs action" folder. Then, at a scheduled time, say, 3 p.m., go in and review all your e-mails.
There are a couple of implementation challenges in this approach. First, subject lines don't always contain helpful information. Bring this up with your team. Content might include the project, the action needed, if it's information only, that type of thing. If your team agrees on what'll be useful, it'll be more readily adopted. It won't happen overnight, but it'll become a habit.
Expectations are another challenge. Communication about your triage approach will help so that your senders understand why they receive a response in two minutes in some cases, and two hours in others.
Then, back to self-discipline. It can be tempting to read the online office newsletter or open the birthday announcement, but move these to the "break time" category. Have a look at these when you've completed one task and are preparing to move to another. Pair it with getting up for a quick walk or stretch for even more refreshment.
E-mail can eat all your time, but you can take charge rather than succumb to the tyranny of faux urgency.
