The following is a summary of Session 26 of my podcast, The Engineering Career Coach (TECC) Podcast with Anthony Fasano, PE. I will summarize the main points in this post; however, you can also listen to the show through the player below or by subscribing on iTunes. I offer a career-changing tip at the end of each podcast session.
1. Daily Schedule – Create a daily schedule for yourself that includes specific times at which you will check e-mail. I call these times e-mail sessions. Spread your e-mail sessions as far apart as is comfortable for you at present. I do two, one at 11:30 a.m. and one at 3:30 p.m., but feel free to add more. I recommend that you space them at least 45 minutes apart.
2. Create Habits – Writing down the schedule is certainly a victory, but sticking to it is another battle. To do this, I use a Gmail app called Inbox Pause, which allows me to schedule the times that e-mails get delivered to my inbox. Yes, you read that right. This allows you to take your day back and respond when you want to, not when people want you to. Whether you use Inbox Pause or not, do something to help ensure that you only check your e-mail during the e-mail sessions scheduled on your calendar.
3. E-mail Folders – Simplify your e-mail folder/label system. Most engineers, including me, have hundreds of folders that we move e-mails around to. This is like having a hundred different piles on your desk. In most instances, if you want to find an e-mail, you can just type in the name of the person or project and find it. This will eliminate the busywork of shuffling e-mails around.
4. Process Inbox Daily – At least once per day, go through your entire e-mail inbox and empty it out so there are no e-mails in it. To do this, act on all e-mails that can easily be acted on, whether you address them, send them off to someone else, or delete them. Then, put the remaining items on to your to-do list. Do not use your e-mail inbox as your to-do list. The number of e-mails in your inbox usually is directly related to your stress level. This is one reason it is important to empty it daily. Do this during one of your e-mail sessions.
5. Cement the Habit – Apps like Inbox Pause will help you create this new schedule and habit of checking e-mail at specific times. However, the only way to cement a habit as permanent is to do it consistently for a long period of time. I recommend that you follow this process for at least 21 days in a row to make it stick.
Have you found this post useful? What have you done to get a better handle on your e-mail management?
Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success, found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website at EngineeringCareerCoach.com for free engineering career advice and other resources.