Leadership Development: Leadership Tips and Tools
Use email automated signatures. And, only check email twice a day. Email can be very disruptive and distracting if you find yourself checking it every hour or every few minutes. Your ability to focus and complete projects can negatively influenced by how you handle your email. This month’s tool is simple to implement and has powerful results:
1) Turn off the automatic send/receive on your Outlook or similar email program which delivers email to your inbox and gives an audible alert as soon as someone sends you an email.
2) Check your email twice a day, once at mid-day, just before lunch and again at the end of your work day. Do not check email first thing in the morning. Use 8 am to 11:30 am to focus on your major priority projects. A single email viewed first thing in the morning can throw you immediately off schedule.
3) Utilize the email autoresponse feature for easily responding. Create an email autoresponse that lets your manager, co-workers and employees know that you will be checking email twice per day. Let them know in this autoresponse email that you are be more effective. Here is a sample email autoresponse template you can edit for you own use:
Hello Friends (Team members, Colleagues, etc. whatever is most natural for you),
As a result of my workload and my interest in being effective, I am currently checking email twice a day at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST. If you require urgent assistance that cannot wait until one of these times, please contact me via phone at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Thank you for your patience and supporting my efforts to being more effective. This is helping me accomplish more and serve you better.
Warm regards, Susan West
4) Utilize the email signature for automatically replying to emails that you repeatedly receive. For example, when recruiting for a new position, my recruiters will receive many emails from candidates applying for the position. An automated signature will let the candidate know that their information has been received and will be reviewed. The message does not need to be retyped every time a new candidates applies. Thready made signature has really simplified our process and yet lets the candidate know their information has been received.
You can also use signatures to remind team members of an upcoming event, of a special theme for the month or inspire with a quote. All can be done with a little thought and the use of the tools your email system provides.
Take a few minutes now to figure out how you can put these leadership tips and tools to use in your office.
Speak Your Mind