I found this great reminder to make the technology work for you, not the other way around.

Everyone has become used to the idea of instant responses to everything.
Does this sound like you?

• You’re lost without your cell phone or PDA
• You answer email as soon as they come in
• The first thing that you do when you return to your office is check your e-mail
• You use e-mail folders as storage for project documentation
• You feel compelled to answer the phone, just because it rings

Becoming e-organized is not only about how you use your electronic tools, but how you manage them so they don’t manage you. As most of us know, e-mail and electronic devices can be quite addictive; I don’t have a Blackberry aka “Crackberries” because of this.

How do you become organized and manage your projects better?

Start by setting yourself up for success in many areas including:

• Managing e-mail
• Handling electronic interruptions (phones, pagers, PDAs
• Creating an interruption-free zone
• Organizing your electronic file
• Utilizing your calendar
• Implementing electronic task list
• Setting expectations with your team
• Other e-organizing tips

Managing E-mail
Many people spend an average of 25% of every day or more than one full day per week responding to e-mails. Since when did e-mail become a top priority?

This article addresses changing your e-mail habits first, but you will need to register to access the complete article. Here’s an excerpt with some of my emphasis bolded to get you started.

Writing E-mail
As a manager, your ability to communicate with your team is paramount. Take advantage of features such as distribution lists to keep your team informed. This will ensure that everyone who requires the information receives it. Create a different distribution list for each group as designated by your project communication plan.

Be concise and try to keep your messages to one or two sentences. Or simply put your entire message in the subject line.

When you do compose an e-mail, make sure you only send it to those who need it. Use the rifle method, not the machine gun-make sure to direct it to exactly who needs it, not spraying the information everywhere.

Set Clear Communication Policies
Set policies for e-mail use within your project team, and provide training on the proper use of e-mail and these policies. Clear guidelines for all internal team members around use and abuse of e-mail in your project communication plan is key.

Implement simple rules like ensuring senders include specific details in the subject line to allow for manual or electronic inbox scanning. Make sure the team understands and treats e-mail as a legal business documentation, and ensure the language and content is treated as such. This can assist in storage of project documentation along the way.

Set guidelines around priority flags: what constitutes emergencies, expected response times, and when to use e-mail, the phone, and face-to-face meetings. Not everything is an emergency, and not all interactions should be by e-mail. E-mail is not the best choice in situations where there is any room for misunderstanding or if your intent is to build a relationship.

And finally, discourage the misuse of e-mail-inappropriate material, chain mail, personal use (i.e., items for sale), and unnecessary forwarding-to help the team reduce the amount of e-mail they must handle.

Reading Project E-Mail
Turn off the chime announcing e-mails! That way you can work uninterrupted and check your e-mail at a convenient time. If you cannot live with the chime turned off, consider assigning categories to your incoming mail and assigning them different chime sounds (urgent, regular business, project related) so at least you know whether it is important.

Try to develop the habit of reviewing your e-mail at certain intervals in the day-first thing in the morning, mid-morning, before leaving for lunch, mid-afternoon, and prior to leaving for the day. Don’t leave e-mail open on your screen; minimize it. If an issue is urgent, tell the team to use the phone or find you.

When writing an e-mail, make sure your message is concise, grammatically correct, and free of spelling errors. Poorly and hastily written e-mails usually lead to misunderstandings and follow-up phone conversations for clarification. The more effective the message, the less clarification you will need to provide later.

Use read receipts only when absolutely necessary, as many people are offended if they think you are checking up on them.

When you are planning to be away, make sure to use an “out of office” reply indicating when you will be away and who to contact in your absence.

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