Good Question: What Are The Best Ways To Handle Emails?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- On average, we send and receive more than 100 emails every day.
One study found 28 percent of our work time is spent on emails.
Even with all of that time, those messages can quickly pile up.
So, in his new book, "How Google Works," Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt gives nine tips on how he manages his inbox.
1. Respond quickly.
One of his favorite responses is, "Got it."
As one downtown Minneapolis worker with a 24-hour-response-time rule puts it, "So I'm reliable and they can trust I'll answer and be there."
2. Be concise when responding to emails.
Use fewer words and understand that can often take more time.
3. Clean your inbox and follow the OHIO motto - "Only hold it once."
When you read an email, you should either delete it right away, read it and act right away or read it and act later, usually by the end of the day.
Re-reading emails, Schmidt believes, is a waste of time.
"Where I run into trouble is I think I'll come back to it later and then I get 100 more emails and I don't even see it on my screen," said another Minneapolis worker.
4. Deal with messages "in LIFO order (Last in, first out)," because older stuff might be handled by someone else.
5. Pass along an email you think might be useful to someone else.
6. Be wary of using the "Bcc" function, because it often means you're trying to hide something, which can be counterproductive.
7. Don't yell over email, but rather talk in person.
8. Label what you need to follow-up on to make it easier to track.
9. Forward emails and add keywords to them to make them easier to search for later.
