Do you ever feel like you're drowning in emails and calendar invites? As a delivery manager, I know the struggle is real. But fear not, fellow time warriors! With a few simple strategies, you can tame your inbox and calendar, reclaim control of your schedule, and finally achieve that elusive state of productivity nirvana.
Email Organization
While I don't subscribe to the zero-inbox philosophy, I've developed an approach that keeps me organized and saves time. Here's how:
- Label your emails: Use folders and labels to categorize emails by client and project. Dedicate a folder for each client, and another for internal communications. Within folders, use labels to highlight specific opportunities or differentiate internal emails by department (HR, finance, management). This allows you to find information quickly, regardless of your inbox volume.
- Prioritize with filters: Set up filters to streamline your inbox and maintain focus. Filter out automated notifications from subscriptions, tools, or non-critical emails. Don't delete them immediately, as you might need to search for information later. The key is to avoid getting bogged down by unimportant messages.
- Unify your inbox: If you manage multiple email accounts (work and personal), consider setting up forwarding rules to consolidate them into your work inbox. This saves time by eliminating the need to constantly switch between accounts, especially if clients use different platforms (Outlook vs. Gmail). Important: Ensure the client's security settings allow automatic forwarding.
Recommended Tool: Superhuman Email Client App
Superhuman streamlines email with features like a lightning-fast interface, AI-powered prioritization, and keyboard shortcuts for swift navigation. Plus, their Split Inbox functionality automatically categorizes emails, keeping your focus on what matters most. Threaded replies, read receipts, and CRM integration further enhance communication efficiency. While Superhuman boasts impressive features, it's important to note that it's a paid service, but it is worth every dollar they charge.
Calendar Management
- Color-Coding for Clarity: Use a color-coding system to categorize events in your calendar. Assign different colors for personal focus time, important meetings, one-on-one sessions, external interviews, and even company events like workshops or webinars (which you can skip unless you're presenting). This color scheme provides a clear picture of your day and helps you understand your time allocation. It also allows you to quickly identify potentially flexible events you can reschedule or miss without consequence. Important: Always respond to event invitations, even if you're unsure about attending. A simple "maybe" demonstrates basic digital etiquette.
- Shared Calendars for Reduced Clutter: It's common for managers to be invited to every team scrum or refinement meeting. But for managers juggling multiple teams, this can overload your calendar with a seemingly endless list of meetings. The solution? Create shared team calendars. This allows you to opt in or out of specific events while maintaining visibility into each team's schedule. You can further streamline your view by subscribing only to the most relevant events within each shared calendar. This approach not only reduces clutter but also provides a clearer picture of your actual availability.
- Merge Personal Events for Holistic Planning: Integrate your personal events into your work calendar for a more comprehensive view of your commitments.
Recommended Tool: Reclaim.ai
Reclaim.ai syncs events from various calendars into a central hub, allowing you to track all your commitments and meetings in one place. It prioritizes privacy by configurable revealing of full, partial or none of event details across calendars. Reclaim.ai also tackles overflowing calendars with AI-powered scheduling. It automatically blocks time for tasks, habits, breaks, and meetings, seamlessly integrating with project management tools. The app also tracks your time usage and offers features like Smart Meetings and Buffer Time to keep you focused and in control of your workday. While Reclaim.ai boasts a robust feature set, it's worth noting that it's a paid subscription service.
Other Tools
The world of productivity is vast, and these are just a few building blocks. Consider exploring other tools and techniques to further refine your workflow:
- Embrace Note-Taking AI Assistants: Tools like Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai can transcribe meetings and interviews in real-time, saving you valuable time and ensuring you capture every detail. You can also chat with built-in AI assistants to get extra insights or clarify information.
- Leverage Integrated Task Management: Platforms like Google Calendar or Asana allow you to create tasks directly from emails or calendar events, streamlining your workflow and keeping everything centralized.
Implement these strategies and you'll be well on your way to inbox and calendar domination. I also encourage you to find what works for you and conquer your workday!
