Career

5 Tips to Tame Email

I recently spent a week out of the country on business. Usually when that happens, I return to an inbox that has exploded. By that, I mean that it’s brimming over, and I don’t even know where to begin to tackle the emails. I was determined on this trip to not have that happen, and it didn’t.

What worked this time?

Set Goals. I checked the number of emails in my inbox before I left on my trip. My goal was to return with that same amount in my inbox. This required spending about an hour each day, either before or after my meetings, reviewing emails. I responded to critical emails. I deleted emails that were not relevant.  When I returned to the office, I only had five additional emails than when I had left. Goal reached.

Create a Folder. I created a file folder within my inbox where I moved emails that I needed to handle back at the office. Those emails all needed to be printed for various reasons or they required me to confirm with someone that the action had been completed. Having them in a central location made it easier to find them. As soon as I finished, I deleted the item, and by day two in the office, the folder also was deleted.

Schedule Email Time. I know that when I am out of the office, the emails will pile up. I also know that I will have numerous meetings when I return because updates need to be shared and projects need to be advanced. Before I leave, I block the morning of my first day back so that I have time to respond to emails, review project plans and organize the week. If I don’t schedule the block of time, I end up doing it on the fly, and that never works.

Set Expectations. Before I travel, I turn my “out-of-office” message on a day or two early. Inevitably, that leads to a flurry of emails that I am able to handle before I leave. That allays everyone’s concern and the email flow slows. I also alert those with whom I communicate the most that I will be traveling and indicate any time zone differences so people will know when to expect a reply.

Mix It Up. I often group my emails by “sender” instead of “date.” This allows me to handle all emails from my boss and from those with whom I’m working on tight or critical deadlines. I also can quickly identify junk email and delete.

It was nice to return to my office and not feel overwhelmed by an avalanche of emails.

Agent 007’s Secrets Help with Office Success

I saw the new James Bond movie Skyfall this weekend. It was just what I needed following a busy, but not as productive a work week as I would have liked. Bond reminded me what I need to do next week at the office.

James Bond’s tricks of the trade may just come in handy at the office.

If the plan goes wrong or isn’t working, improvise. I’ve been trying to advance several projects but roadblocks keep appearing. Sometimes they thwart me. After seeing Bond in action, I realized I need to change course and quickly.

True, I’m not dealing with imminent threat of death if my plan doesn’t work, but I don’t see any point in dragging out my efforts either. This coming week, if my plan doesn’t work, I’ll immediately change tactics.

Have the right tools. At the office, having the right tools usually means a working computer and a business or PR plan. Sometimes, we forget to create the plan, which introduces chaos. Sometimes, the computer doesn’t work. My computer has a glitch that sometimes prevents the audio from working. That’s a problem when I’m trying to place a Skype call. I need the right tools, even if they aren’t cool ones like Bond has.

Have a hobby. We all need to create work-life balance. A hobby helps. Bond may need to work on his a bit because when asked by the villain what his hobby was, he replied, “Resurrection.”

A good soundtrack helps. Sometimes when the day is frustrating listening to music with a strong beat can push you past your afternoon slump or help you finish the report that is due in an hour. Headphones are actually a cool tool to have at the office for listening to the right music. The new James Bond song performed by Adele might just carry you to the finish line.

The movie grossed a record $30.8 million when it opened Friday. Obviously, Bond still has what it takes.

5 Tips to Manage Your Career

Recently I was speaking with a young woman whom I met as she was finishing her undergraduate college degree. She’s getting ready to move and is deciding what she wants to do.

She asked me about my career and how I chose where to work. As I considered my current position, as well as those I held previously, some themes emerged. I think this advice works whether you’re seeking your first position or your next one.

1. Know what you don’t want to do. That’s a good way to eliminate jobs. If you prefer writing, then a job as an event planner is probably not for you even if it sounds like fun because you will miss writing.

2. Find jobs that allow you to contribute to the organization and also to stretch. Obviously, you have to bring something to the position or you won’t get hired. You also don’t want to become bored with the job so seek opportunities to grow your skills. When you’re first starting out, it may simply be learning how the business world works.

I was fortunate in my newspaper career to also spend some time in the photo-graphics department so I learned about pre-press and printing, which helped influence what I would and could do as I was designing pages.

3. Take advantage of opportunities outside of the office. I joined a professional group called National Federation of Press Women and the state affiliate Virginia Press Women. Because of those organizations I developed my skills as a public speaker, event planner and newsletter editor. I also learned about diplomacy and working with volunteers. More importantly, I developed an extensive list of contacts so if I am stumped, I can always find a member to give me pointers or suggest a consultant.

4. Find mentors. You may not be ready for your next dream job. Speaking with someone, though, who has a similar job is a great way to learn what you will need to get the job. Don’t hesitate to reach out. Most people want to help.

5. Volunteer. I serve on some boards and work with my local library where I created a writers’ series. I aspire to publish a novel and this volunteer work is a great way for me to connect with published authors and learn about the craft.

What advice would you give to some just beginning their career or who is looking to transition?

4 Ways to Make Meetings Purposeful

The other day at work I had meetings back-to-back from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no breaks. At noon I had a lunch meeting to make a decision. It was unusual to have that many meetings. Someone asked me if I could have cancelled any or skipped any. The thing was – each one had a purpose.

When meetings have a purpose they have value. When they are efficiently run, they add value. Here are a few tips I’ve adopted throughout the years to make my meetings purposeful:

1. Start meetings on time, schedule the appropriate amount of time and end on time.

2. Pick a meeting space that works. Do you need to project images? Then make sure you have a dark room or one with shades. My team holds a Monday morning agile meeting to kick off the week and share information. It’s scheduled for 15 minutes and is being held in an unused office at the moment. There are no chairs, which is the point. We stand so we can share quickly.

3. Share information in advance. It frustrates me to come to a meeting, only to be handed a document that we’ll review and discuss and then need to make a decision on it. Provide it to me in advance so I can review and pull my thoughts together. It makes decision making much easier and, often, faster.

4. Determine who is accountable. If action items are required, be sure to note who is responsible for the item and by when. Otherwise, the next meeting will be to determine responsibility, which is not a good use of any one’s time.

Meetings have their place if they are used productively.

Innovating, Succeeding Thanks to Books

Books provide inspiration about innovating and leading. (Photo by Cynthia Price)

The leadership book club I belong to at work just finished a great read about innovating. Next up is one about introverts succeeding in an extroverted world and then one on leadership. I always have found inspiration in leadership, management and self-improvement books, but the impact is even greater when I’m able to discuss the books with others.

If you’re looking for ways to innovate and succeed, here are three books to read:

The Future of Nonprofits: Innovate and Thrive in the Digital Age by David J. Neff and Randal C. Moss: The book jacket notes this “comprehensive playbook demonstrates how to create and launch a new, more flexible, innovative organization that is better equipped to embrace and leverage today’s digital technologies.”

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain: “This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves,” notes the book jacket.

The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes: The preface notes this is about “how leaders mobilize others to want to get extraordinary things done in organizations. It’s about the practices leaders use to transform values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity and risks into rewards.”

What other books would you add to this list?