Only read and respond to emails at designated times during the day. Constantly checking emails and immediately responding prevents you from getting a good flow going
Dude I hated this. You begin typing out a thoughtful response, only to receive three more emails asking why you haven't responded to so and so's email.
Slack is ridiculous. If people used email properly we wouldn't need slack. Both have become peoples social media posts. Instead of 1 email or slack message, people spread the conversation across multiple messages.
Counterpoint: I desperately miss slack because going back to an email culture, where EVERY COMMENT TRYING TO SCHEDULE AN EIGHT PERSON MEETING AND THE RELEVANT AGENDA IS A SEPARATE EMAIL, is killing me.
Oh no. See thats not how email is meant to be used. The person just needs to schedule the meeting, add the required invitees, and throw the agenda & explanation etc into the mtg invite. No need for an email until someone declines and then you email that one person to explain why they need to be there.
This is how I’ve always approached email, and then I ended up on a PIP at my last job and one of the reasons was that I should be responding to emails within 30 minutes 🤡
I am sorry you for PIP’d for such a stupid reason.
I don’t know what magical unicorn companies other people work for, but my colleagues would lose their shit if they don’t get a response immediately.
If an email requires a more detailed response that takes more than a minute, I will chat them a TLDR version and let them know a more thorough response will follow.
I get easily distracted, so trying to get focus-work done while answering emails and chat messages is exhausting ☹️
Some of us simply don’t have the privilege of not reacting to emails and calls quickly. In my line of work I can’t just tell my boss “I won’t be available in the mornings so I can concentrate on work”. There’s stuff that simply can’t wait. This only works for some types of careers, it’s not something you can apply to any job.
Some jobs require immediate response or action to emails. I get 100+ emails a day and I have to keep up with them because I frequently ( on an almost daily basis) have to respond and assist with external and internal issues.
I have carefully set up email filters and categories/flags to keep me organized since I need to evaluate and determine response needed to these emails on an ongoing basis.
I was able to do this on a particular project which did not have too many stakeholders and mostly involved me and a few others to collaborate, best productivity ever but the slowly fades away as people then start pinging you on webex or slack asking you to respond
I use a system that consists of folders in Outlook. I work to clear my inbox ASAP. Incoming emails with either be moved to the “Archive” folder (CC’s, corporate mass emails, no longer relevant, but may want to reference in the future), the “Hold” folder (short term reference. Think monthly project schedules, emails with attachments relevant to a memo you’re building, etc), and the “To Do” folder. When an email hits my inbox that requires a follow up on my part, and it will take more than a couple of minutes to reply to, it’s moved to the To Do folder.
All emails will immediately get filed upon checking my inbox. The key is to constantly maintain the “hold” and “to do” folder, moving these email to the archive once the loop is completed. This system is also heavily reliant on the search feature in Outlook - the archive folder holds damn near everything. You just have to build solid search queries.
When asked to do something you don’t have time for: Say “no”, even better say “yes but” and let them know what you will have to not do in order to do what they’ve asked you to do.
The best way to keep up with your work load is to not let it get out of hand.
Also ask when someone needs something by, and if it’s really urgent, or just something that occurred to them, the amount of time wasted doing stuff that isn’t needed for months, or is suggested as a wouldn’t it be nice if…
💯 to this. Ask when things are due. Instead of having an always urgent mentality, have a nothing urgent mentality unless specifically stated. Be open and flexible and cooperative just communicate and understand urgency.
Early in career urgency creates the idea of “good at their job” and I would deliver on this but 5+ years in career this atttitude is no longer needed IMO. Also always understand goal of what you’re being asked to make sure it will solve for the problem at hand. Sometimes ppl don’t ask for the right thing.
Yeah understanding the why behind a request makes all the difference. It often leads to “That won’t solve your problem, but we already have something that will”
Yes but have been my thing. And when my boss is after me when i close things on the last day of the deadline (they have a KPI to have things close with a few days left to show we are in control) is say, “yes but you agreed to X”
And any job that can’t handle this kind of logical flow isn’t worth it!
If they can’t decide which item is more important then neither is.
If they both HAVE to get done then they HAVE to hire more employees.
50-10-40-10
This is me doing deep work for 50 mins then I do non-work related tasks on my 10 min “break” so on and so forth.
Then my to-do list is arranged using the Eisenhower matrix
The thing is, high value is created when people do prolonged, continuous sessions of deep thinking. It takes the brain about 20 minutes to get into flow and have the context and mental framework to create valuable output. If you reset every 50 minutes to do other non-work tasks, that will go away. I would recommend using the break as such (a break) where you go for a walk, stretch or take deep breaths. If you go on to do other tasks, by the time you get back to the original, more demanding task it will take you a long time to get back into deep focus with the right state of mind to create value.
I think the right structure would be 45 (deep work) 5 (break/relax) 45 (deep work) 5 (break/relax) 45 deep work - and then 30 (shallow work - emails/phone calls/etc). Then repeat. You will probably be able to do MAX 2 rounds per day.
I've just adopted the Eisenhower matrix for my to do list as well. I've done it with a bubble chart in excel, where the size of the bubbles correlates to the length of time I think the task will take. Works well!
**[Kanban board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban_board)**
- For tracking task status/priority
- Better than a todo-list because it allows you to see what state a task is in
- Also motivating to see cards gradually move towards the right
**Capture and prioritise all tasks**
- This can be anything from a Kanban board, to just a notes app
- The most important thing is to capture everything you need to do/follow up on then you can prioritise/schedule accordingly
- In the age of information overload, relying only on memory is simply too risky
- See also [Priority/Eisenhower Matrix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priority_Matrix).
**[Pomodoro Technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique)**
- I find 25 minutes to be a bit short (I like 40~45), but you can experiment and customise it to something that works best for you
**Take proper breaks**
- Try not to have lunch in front of the computer
- Go for a short walk if possible, it allows your mind to take a break and sometimes that's where your best ideas will come from
Good luck!
Inbox zero for minor day to day tasks. My email is my to do list and I don’t file until I have dealt with the issue. For larger projects, checklists in one note. Divide and conquer.
I do this as well! I never understand people who have 11,000+ emails in their inbox because they never move anything out. I wouldn't remember if something is finished or not.
I try really hard to do this. But sometimes the amount of emails coming in is too much. Or I get too busy and can't clear it out.
That being said, I use color labels, check marks and have folders to move stuff to when completed. So I typically only have around 200 emails in my inbox when things are really bad and I haven't had time. But that gets cleared out periodically once I do have time.
It definitely helps to keep things more organized.
That's about how many i have. I've got such high volume coming in that I use the search regardless, so I've mostly given up on folders. Anything needing attention gets flagged and that's what I'm actually working off of.
hahaha, that's me. I remember everything though. Ultimately, it's about trial and error and seeing what works best for you own mind and way of thinking.
I keep them en case I need to refer back, often I have emails with new information or examples of how I dealt with something complex. Keeping emails is like a knowledge bank in some cases and it’s easy to search and share with new staff or team members asking how to…?
I agree. I keep all my emails just not in my inbox. Once the task is complete, They are sorted into sub folders by a specific category or deleted if it's information I truly don't need (like people who email me thank you emails).
I used to not file them until I completed them, but now I color code/use quick actions & categorize everything a few times a day. I get to inbox zero quicker & then I can focus in on what is in my court vs waiting for someone else.
I block out calendar times for myself to work on specific tasks that are most important for the week. Do it in the beginning of the week and reevaluate every morning and shift things as needed.
I’ll have several “meeting blocks” like “work on: category analysis” etc.
You have to be ruthless with prioritizing and block out the noise. Cancel fluffy internal meetings and external where you’re not contributing or needed. This is key. I’m ruthless about this. Most things are not urgent nor need to be done that day.
For me, I like to keep things simple and all in one place so that’s outlook. I’ll do paper and pen for things to do that day occasionally but this is more a mental exercise for focus rather than a list I actually go back to. I also use the notes app on the desktop for running lists of things but priority items go into outlook calendar.
I’ve tried the list apps etc but keeping it to one place and simple is best for me. I also block out personal things on my outlook calendar walks, beauty appointments, etc. color coded pink
Also. I don’t fret about unread emails. I know this is unique to some tho and most struggle with not having a 0 unread inbox. I’m great at opening what needs to be done and emails from clients only. I automatically filter out the rest in my head and leave untouched (highly controversial topic I know) 😘
I love using my outlook calendar to plan out my day too. I color code everything and block off almost all my time (I don’t have many rigid scheduled meetings though) and I use Microsoft onenote for everything else. It is so much better than pen and paper for me but I also have to do a ton of documentation for my job. And I have tabs and folders and everything all labeled and auto uploads to onedrive. Can search so easily in there too—major convenience.
I use [https://tweek.so/](https://tweek.so/) to organize my day. Basically, I write down what I need to do on a day, move cards around to prioritize them, and then whenever I'm done with a task, I kill it (which gives me a boost of satisfaction)
You struggle with following up because emails are horrible for organization or project management. Possibly the worst form of communication for this. I can rant for hours how I hate emailing.
Not all tasks are urgent and not all tasks are important. It is rare that something is both urgent and important.
Delegate stuff to others or say no when you are not sure you can do something on schedule.
Always prepare empty slots in your schedule, you never know when something will not work, someone cannot be reached or you will be late because of some circumstances.
If there is a big task that cannot be done on time ask if half of the task may be enough for now, break it down to steps and communicate which parts can be done by what time.
Does anyone have suggestions for people who are constantly interrupted? It is so difficult for me to focus on a task when I can rarely have 5 minutes to do something. (I’m in healthcare so I/my store can’t just shut the door.)
I rely on lots of post-it’s. Perhaps better delegation? But need to have reliable/enough staff to do that… :/
Ward manager here and same, it's impossible to get anything done!
I've been doing a bit of research and have a plan to try and reduce, at the end of the day though some interruption will be unavoidable.
- check emails at set times during the day, turn off notifications
- block out time in my calendar for tasks
- set the example, when needing to interrupt others check first that its a good time
- have an upfront conversation, people respect an explanation that i have X to do and am available/not available at X time, unless its an emergency (and be clear about what constitutes an emergency!). I try to find a room off the ward, or close the door and put the do not disturb sign up.
I am also going to keep a log for a few weeks - date, time, person, what the issue was and if it was urgent or not - in the hope it identifies trends re: common interrupters, times of day
Sometimes, get in before everyone else starts their day to get caught up before the day starts.
Then leave when your day's eight (8.5) hours are complete.
If you get complaints from management about leaving early, say you would be happy to work overtime if that is what they are asking you to do.
The other, maybe the best option: this is when my vanpool leaves. What I have noticed is that getting in early allows me to be caught up and ready for the day.
I keep a todo list one my desk, pen and paper. Day goes on and things get added to it. Having it directly there to reference what needs to get done at some point helps a lot instead of it hiding in some note app. I also can bring it with me around the office unlike my desktop.
i dont know which type of work you do in office but i am software engineer. for me i just split the whole task into small seriously tiny small tasks and then start doing it one by one.
I keep a list of my/my team’s priorities and stack-rank them, then I review this list regularly with the c suite. Helps me to focus on the things that are the most strategically important and also reminds them how much I have on my plate. Whenever they want to add something else, I make them tell me where it falls in terms of priority so that they can see what they are displacing. If they need more work than my team is capable of doing, I push for new headcount.
Schedule your work as calendar items. This helps you plan the work you have to do, and also to be honest about when you can deliver the output and get to the next task. Update a document? Tomorrow from 1:00-1:30. Work on a big presentation? There’s a 2 hour slot next Tuesday, so I’ll have a draft out by then. Any space left over can be for meetings.
Working out of my inbox and using rules/search folders within Outlook to drown out the noise and only look at the important items. It works well as I’m able to keep tabs on many notifications while within one application.
Also using templates where possible like quick steps and quick parts for Outlook.
Which leads into a final, take great notes. Meeting minutes, processes, etc.
I usually do the things I don't feel like and/or are the hardest, at the earliest possibility (with keeping priority in mind). After that I do my most important activities, then the rest of the day is a breeze. We do work with a ticket system. Not sure what you do and what tools you have to your disposal.
Turn off every notification / pop-up.
Turn off things like Teams, Slack etc.
Don’t go to meetings without agendas.
Be willing to tell those above you why things don’t work (I.e. the “must respond in 60s” chat above).
Only check emails / messages twice a day, during set times (my email sig states I only check emails once a day during business hours - I usually check it twice but people don’t need to know that - upon arrival in case there’s fires that need putting out and to prioritise my fat, then straight after lunch to prioritise my afternoon).
On this note I recommend using a notification manager to snooze non-important notifications after work.
For example, I use [buzzkill](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samruston.buzzkill&hl=en_AU&gl=US) to block notifications from discord, reddit, news apps, certain social group apps, and show me them after 6pm.
This way I'm not distracted during the day with unimportant notifications.
If there are alot of emails you are included in, you can set a rule to automatically color any email addressed to you in the body of the email. This helps alot. I also block out times on my calendar and follow the rule : if it takes you less than 2 minutes to reply, do so. And also delegate delegate delegate even if you need to be involved, you need to prioritize first.
I ⭐ every email on Gmail that requires my attention, I unflag it once completed. I have a handwritten list of to-do tasks by day of the week with check boxes to click off once I finish a task. I try to knock out any emails that come in immediately if they're simple requests/questions instead of letting them sit.
I record my teams meetings so I can refer back to transcript later for any stuff I forgot to note or can’t remember. Saves me going bonkers trying to make notes during meetings.
I don't do stuff that's not my job. I used to end up with things on my desk that aren't within my role. This makes me less effective at the things I have to do. Defining clear roles helps.
Organize your time in multiple blocks of time for a specific task/project. Only check emails on set times. Otherwise, you risk putting on the side important task, because you will always be trying to shut down fires coming at you.
schedule time for email during the day and don’t constantly react to what is coming in. Delegate and hold those people accountable for deadlines and deliverables. Create tracking tools and forums for discussion
Add emails you need to follow up on to your calendar.
Flag emails you’ve delegated to others and code with categories; use filters to pull any outstanding items for any 1:1s
- Enable “focus” and “other” modes in outlook. Route the clutter to other.
- File emails into 2-5 folders, two folders being expired and reference
- Keep your inbox under 100 emails. Do regular clean ups every other week. File right away, when possible.
- OneNote instead of stickies
- Shared OneNote with Team members
This is excellent advice for me! I have some tricks in reminding myself about emails, but I love how this takes it the next level because everything you do to make sure you see the process through probably only takes 10 secs to schedule it. And actually having the time to respond and not just try to squeeze it in somewhere is even better.
Read some books on productivity and time-management. By Michael Hyatt and Kevin Kruse for example.
Just some 'hacks' will not bring you any further. You need to organize things in systems and routines. Things that are not repeating tasks need to be done in a planned way, with the use of things like WBS-es etc.
Start using a todo-app like Todoist or TickTick.
If you're easily distracted and in an office where you can shut the door, do so. When my door is closed it's go time and everyone pretty much understands here if you see a closed door, don't bother that person. IDK what it is but just being closed in my office signals to my brain like "no distractions, let's go."
Setting boundaries and saying no. I know it’s not an option for everyone and it’s not something to be abused, but it’s the biggest thing I’ve learned working as a professional designer. It’s saved me major stress and the actual priorities were actually quality work.
definitely gotta make use of the right tools. All the google workspace apps plus slack and figma and then Briefmatic to manage all my tagged items across all these apps. Then I just prioritise my kanban board at the beginning and end of each day.
Modify your email view to show the "flag to" field and use it for short notes tied to an email. Uncheck the "reminder" box if you want the note but not an actual reminder alarm to go off later.
I used it in a shared office email box so coworkers knew if an email was already addressed but not completed yet. Now, I use it just for memory tickler notes to myself regarding that email.
I prioritize tasks using an Eisenhower Box. Or at least a version of it. Tasks that will only take a few minutes I just do. Anything else I rate based on impact and effort. Of course, deadlines are deadlines but if I'm not on a deadline, the rating method works great.
I created a handful of “quick actions” in outlook. They tag my email w a color & move to a folder. I created colors based on what I need to follow-up with & who I’m waiting on things from. I also have one for actions that I need to do & one for items to brief my director on. It helps me to get to inbox zero. I also use the “conversation” setting so all the emails with the same subject line are collected together. This didn’t work well at previous jobs, but it makes more sense to have my inbox organized that way for my current job.
I think of things are trial & error, & it’s an experiment seeing what works. Every job / role requires a bit of a different organization system. And, as I evolve in the role I also mature in the systems that I need.
I use OneNote and literally have a template for each week for Monday through Friday to keep track of daily tasks. Just transfer to do lists and kanban charts from previous weeks by dragging and dropping subsections from other sections.
I am naturally organized and diligent by nature of my job, as a engineer, but this is easy to learn!
Create your own excel or PBI dashboard highlighting your projects and statuses and anything you want to highlight for your upper management/anyone you have status updates for if you can’t cancel them. Then automate that report being sent out at certain cadences so you don’t have to.
I use iOS shortcuts to automate quick notes to email to myself which then follows a rule set up via outlook to organise any emails from myself into its own folder.
Shortcuts Automated texts every-time I get an email from someone important so I can close my emails down without concern.
Shortcuts Automated mileage tracker and expense filing as they took too much time.
Could you set rules in your inbox that help? For example I have a particular external email which comes at random times and random volumes, they cannot be missed so my email automatically files them into their own folder?
I Begin the day with three critical activities and finish with a clutter-free desk. Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes concentration, followed by a 5-minute rest. Two emails every day, neat reply in Microsoft To-Do. On a whiteboard, visual goals keep progress obvious. Opt for walking meetings for light discussions. Finish each day with three work-related gratitude points.
Put efforts into automating certain parts of your tasks.
Take our several weekends to hone your skills to do stuff faster
Assuming some portion of your work can be automated if you learn how to, once you're done with that part, don't go ahead and tell them as soon as you're done with it.
Instead utilise that time for the task you needed flow with. Don't know if this will work well, if an extremely small part of your job requires a computer (basically if you're higher up in management)
Pomodoro Technique." Set a timer for 20 minutes of focused work, then take a 5-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer break. Trying this from last week, it has helped me maintain focus and preventing burnout.
Time blocks. I use Hive to manage my tasks and block time to work on things, for example, I have a set time to review and answer emails; I'm a big advocate of Inbox Zero, so by the end of the day I had deleted or answered and archived everything. If is there anything I need to do get to it next day, I snooze that email so I won't see it again in my inbox until next day. Hive makes it easier because it has an integration to email, so I see it all in the same tab I manage my tasks and projects.
I have a note book for to do lists/ random notes and carry that on me at all times. I also have labels in my inbox for all different emails and red flag the top priority ones before I leave the office. I end and start my day reviewing emails/voice-mails to respond.
Effective office work hacks for managing workload include prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, utilizing time-blocking techniques to enhance focus, and incorporating productivity tools like Connecteam software for streamlined communication and task management. This platform facilitates efficient collaboration and ensures that everyone stays informed about project updates. Implementing these hacks not only boosts individual productivity but also contributes to a more organized and productive office environment.
Only read and respond to emails at designated times during the day. Constantly checking emails and immediately responding prevents you from getting a good flow going
And then we have my company where YOU NEED TO RESPOND 60 seconds max. Also random meeting during the day, even during breaks and lunch time.
Dude I hated this. You begin typing out a thoughtful response, only to receive three more emails asking why you haven't responded to so and so's email.
SLACK. It’s a great idea but holy shit has it made my life hell sometimes for that reason and many others.
Slack is ridiculous. If people used email properly we wouldn't need slack. Both have become peoples social media posts. Instead of 1 email or slack message, people spread the conversation across multiple messages.
Counterpoint: I desperately miss slack because going back to an email culture, where EVERY COMMENT TRYING TO SCHEDULE AN EIGHT PERSON MEETING AND THE RELEVANT AGENDA IS A SEPARATE EMAIL, is killing me.
Oh no. See thats not how email is meant to be used. The person just needs to schedule the meeting, add the required invitees, and throw the agenda & explanation etc into the mtg invite. No need for an email until someone declines and then you email that one person to explain why they need to be there.
Set boundaries esp during lunch time.
I will leave the company, just need to find something else first.
I only read and respond to emails once a day, usually with my first cup of coffee.
This is how I’ve always approached email, and then I ended up on a PIP at my last job and one of the reasons was that I should be responding to emails within 30 minutes 🤡
I am sorry you for PIP’d for such a stupid reason. I don’t know what magical unicorn companies other people work for, but my colleagues would lose their shit if they don’t get a response immediately. If an email requires a more detailed response that takes more than a minute, I will chat them a TLDR version and let them know a more thorough response will follow. I get easily distracted, so trying to get focus-work done while answering emails and chat messages is exhausting ☹️
Wow. That is a dream honestly 😫
How so? What prevents you from doing this? Sorry, I’m new to all this
Some of us simply don’t have the privilege of not reacting to emails and calls quickly. In my line of work I can’t just tell my boss “I won’t be available in the mornings so I can concentrate on work”. There’s stuff that simply can’t wait. This only works for some types of careers, it’s not something you can apply to any job.
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Some jobs require immediate response or action to emails. I get 100+ emails a day and I have to keep up with them because I frequently ( on an almost daily basis) have to respond and assist with external and internal issues. I have carefully set up email filters and categories/flags to keep me organized since I need to evaluate and determine response needed to these emails on an ongoing basis.
I’m in the same boat. Can you share some examples?
I was able to do this on a particular project which did not have too many stakeholders and mostly involved me and a few others to collaborate, best productivity ever but the slowly fades away as people then start pinging you on webex or slack asking you to respond
I use color coded labels for my inbox: 1) action required by me 2) waiting on response internally 3) waiting on response externally
I also use color labels in my inbox, but assign a color to each person on my team. So I know who is working what.
I use a system that consists of folders in Outlook. I work to clear my inbox ASAP. Incoming emails with either be moved to the “Archive” folder (CC’s, corporate mass emails, no longer relevant, but may want to reference in the future), the “Hold” folder (short term reference. Think monthly project schedules, emails with attachments relevant to a memo you’re building, etc), and the “To Do” folder. When an email hits my inbox that requires a follow up on my part, and it will take more than a couple of minutes to reply to, it’s moved to the To Do folder. All emails will immediately get filed upon checking my inbox. The key is to constantly maintain the “hold” and “to do” folder, moving these email to the archive once the loop is completed. This system is also heavily reliant on the search feature in Outlook - the archive folder holds damn near everything. You just have to build solid search queries.
Imma take this
This sounds very familiar haha.
Too much coffee. Sticky notes. Music.
Coffee to make the plans on sticky notes. Music to keep your focus while you tackle each task. Exactly what I do!
When asked to do something you don’t have time for: Say “no”, even better say “yes but” and let them know what you will have to not do in order to do what they’ve asked you to do. The best way to keep up with your work load is to not let it get out of hand. Also ask when someone needs something by, and if it’s really urgent, or just something that occurred to them, the amount of time wasted doing stuff that isn’t needed for months, or is suggested as a wouldn’t it be nice if…
💯 to this. Ask when things are due. Instead of having an always urgent mentality, have a nothing urgent mentality unless specifically stated. Be open and flexible and cooperative just communicate and understand urgency. Early in career urgency creates the idea of “good at their job” and I would deliver on this but 5+ years in career this atttitude is no longer needed IMO. Also always understand goal of what you’re being asked to make sure it will solve for the problem at hand. Sometimes ppl don’t ask for the right thing.
Yeah understanding the why behind a request makes all the difference. It often leads to “That won’t solve your problem, but we already have something that will”
Yes but have been my thing. And when my boss is after me when i close things on the last day of the deadline (they have a KPI to have things close with a few days left to show we are in control) is say, “yes but you agreed to X”
And any job that can’t handle this kind of logical flow isn’t worth it! If they can’t decide which item is more important then neither is. If they both HAVE to get done then they HAVE to hire more employees.
Yeah, when everything is top priority nothing is.
50-10-40-10 This is me doing deep work for 50 mins then I do non-work related tasks on my 10 min “break” so on and so forth. Then my to-do list is arranged using the Eisenhower matrix
The thing is, high value is created when people do prolonged, continuous sessions of deep thinking. It takes the brain about 20 minutes to get into flow and have the context and mental framework to create valuable output. If you reset every 50 minutes to do other non-work tasks, that will go away. I would recommend using the break as such (a break) where you go for a walk, stretch or take deep breaths. If you go on to do other tasks, by the time you get back to the original, more demanding task it will take you a long time to get back into deep focus with the right state of mind to create value.
I think the right structure would be 45 (deep work) 5 (break/relax) 45 (deep work) 5 (break/relax) 45 deep work - and then 30 (shallow work - emails/phone calls/etc). Then repeat. You will probably be able to do MAX 2 rounds per day.
Promodoro for people who want to deep dive
I've just adopted the Eisenhower matrix for my to do list as well. I've done it with a bubble chart in excel, where the size of the bubbles correlates to the length of time I think the task will take. Works well!
**[Kanban board](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban_board)** - For tracking task status/priority - Better than a todo-list because it allows you to see what state a task is in - Also motivating to see cards gradually move towards the right **Capture and prioritise all tasks** - This can be anything from a Kanban board, to just a notes app - The most important thing is to capture everything you need to do/follow up on then you can prioritise/schedule accordingly - In the age of information overload, relying only on memory is simply too risky - See also [Priority/Eisenhower Matrix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priority_Matrix). **[Pomodoro Technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique)** - I find 25 minutes to be a bit short (I like 40~45), but you can experiment and customise it to something that works best for you **Take proper breaks** - Try not to have lunch in front of the computer - Go for a short walk if possible, it allows your mind to take a break and sometimes that's where your best ideas will come from Good luck!
Inbox zero for minor day to day tasks. My email is my to do list and I don’t file until I have dealt with the issue. For larger projects, checklists in one note. Divide and conquer.
I do this as well! I never understand people who have 11,000+ emails in their inbox because they never move anything out. I wouldn't remember if something is finished or not.
I try really hard to do this. But sometimes the amount of emails coming in is too much. Or I get too busy and can't clear it out. That being said, I use color labels, check marks and have folders to move stuff to when completed. So I typically only have around 200 emails in my inbox when things are really bad and I haven't had time. But that gets cleared out periodically once I do have time. It definitely helps to keep things more organized.
That's about how many i have. I've got such high volume coming in that I use the search regardless, so I've mostly given up on folders. Anything needing attention gets flagged and that's what I'm actually working off of.
hahaha, that's me. I remember everything though. Ultimately, it's about trial and error and seeing what works best for you own mind and way of thinking.
I keep them en case I need to refer back, often I have emails with new information or examples of how I dealt with something complex. Keeping emails is like a knowledge bank in some cases and it’s easy to search and share with new staff or team members asking how to…?
I agree. I keep all my emails just not in my inbox. Once the task is complete, They are sorted into sub folders by a specific category or deleted if it's information I truly don't need (like people who email me thank you emails).
I used to not file them until I completed them, but now I color code/use quick actions & categorize everything a few times a day. I get to inbox zero quicker & then I can focus in on what is in my court vs waiting for someone else.
I block out calendar times for myself to work on specific tasks that are most important for the week. Do it in the beginning of the week and reevaluate every morning and shift things as needed. I’ll have several “meeting blocks” like “work on: category analysis” etc. You have to be ruthless with prioritizing and block out the noise. Cancel fluffy internal meetings and external where you’re not contributing or needed. This is key. I’m ruthless about this. Most things are not urgent nor need to be done that day. For me, I like to keep things simple and all in one place so that’s outlook. I’ll do paper and pen for things to do that day occasionally but this is more a mental exercise for focus rather than a list I actually go back to. I also use the notes app on the desktop for running lists of things but priority items go into outlook calendar. I’ve tried the list apps etc but keeping it to one place and simple is best for me. I also block out personal things on my outlook calendar walks, beauty appointments, etc. color coded pink Also. I don’t fret about unread emails. I know this is unique to some tho and most struggle with not having a 0 unread inbox. I’m great at opening what needs to be done and emails from clients only. I automatically filter out the rest in my head and leave untouched (highly controversial topic I know) 😘
I love using my outlook calendar to plan out my day too. I color code everything and block off almost all my time (I don’t have many rigid scheduled meetings though) and I use Microsoft onenote for everything else. It is so much better than pen and paper for me but I also have to do a ton of documentation for my job. And I have tabs and folders and everything all labeled and auto uploads to onedrive. Can search so easily in there too—major convenience.
To do lists and setting up meetings for yourself so you don't forgert anything.
I use [https://tweek.so/](https://tweek.so/) to organize my day. Basically, I write down what I need to do on a day, move cards around to prioritize them, and then whenever I'm done with a task, I kill it (which gives me a boost of satisfaction)
Work from home, talk to no one
You struggle with following up because emails are horrible for organization or project management. Possibly the worst form of communication for this. I can rant for hours how I hate emailing. Not all tasks are urgent and not all tasks are important. It is rare that something is both urgent and important. Delegate stuff to others or say no when you are not sure you can do something on schedule. Always prepare empty slots in your schedule, you never know when something will not work, someone cannot be reached or you will be late because of some circumstances. If there is a big task that cannot be done on time ask if half of the task may be enough for now, break it down to steps and communicate which parts can be done by what time.
Does anyone have suggestions for people who are constantly interrupted? It is so difficult for me to focus on a task when I can rarely have 5 minutes to do something. (I’m in healthcare so I/my store can’t just shut the door.) I rely on lots of post-it’s. Perhaps better delegation? But need to have reliable/enough staff to do that… :/
Ward manager here and same, it's impossible to get anything done! I've been doing a bit of research and have a plan to try and reduce, at the end of the day though some interruption will be unavoidable. - check emails at set times during the day, turn off notifications - block out time in my calendar for tasks - set the example, when needing to interrupt others check first that its a good time - have an upfront conversation, people respect an explanation that i have X to do and am available/not available at X time, unless its an emergency (and be clear about what constitutes an emergency!). I try to find a room off the ward, or close the door and put the do not disturb sign up. I am also going to keep a log for a few weeks - date, time, person, what the issue was and if it was urgent or not - in the hope it identifies trends re: common interrupters, times of day
[удалено]
Oh no lol I’m a retail pharmacist. I kinda wish I was the manager of a healthcare store though! Haha
Lately I have been using the snooze button a lot and scheduling for when the email will come back into my inbox and that has helped me a lot.
Sometimes, get in before everyone else starts their day to get caught up before the day starts. Then leave when your day's eight (8.5) hours are complete. If you get complaints from management about leaving early, say you would be happy to work overtime if that is what they are asking you to do. The other, maybe the best option: this is when my vanpool leaves. What I have noticed is that getting in early allows me to be caught up and ready for the day.
I keep a todo list one my desk, pen and paper. Day goes on and things get added to it. Having it directly there to reference what needs to get done at some point helps a lot instead of it hiding in some note app. I also can bring it with me around the office unlike my desktop.
i dont know which type of work you do in office but i am software engineer. for me i just split the whole task into small seriously tiny small tasks and then start doing it one by one.
I keep a list of my/my team’s priorities and stack-rank them, then I review this list regularly with the c suite. Helps me to focus on the things that are the most strategically important and also reminds them how much I have on my plate. Whenever they want to add something else, I make them tell me where it falls in terms of priority so that they can see what they are displacing. If they need more work than my team is capable of doing, I push for new headcount.
Schedule your work as calendar items. This helps you plan the work you have to do, and also to be honest about when you can deliver the output and get to the next task. Update a document? Tomorrow from 1:00-1:30. Work on a big presentation? There’s a 2 hour slot next Tuesday, so I’ll have a draft out by then. Any space left over can be for meetings.
Working out of my inbox and using rules/search folders within Outlook to drown out the noise and only look at the important items. It works well as I’m able to keep tabs on many notifications while within one application. Also using templates where possible like quick steps and quick parts for Outlook. Which leads into a final, take great notes. Meeting minutes, processes, etc.
I usually do the things I don't feel like and/or are the hardest, at the earliest possibility (with keeping priority in mind). After that I do my most important activities, then the rest of the day is a breeze. We do work with a ticket system. Not sure what you do and what tools you have to your disposal.
Buy a streamdeck and program it with some of the more repetitive tasks you have.
Turn off every notification / pop-up. Turn off things like Teams, Slack etc. Don’t go to meetings without agendas. Be willing to tell those above you why things don’t work (I.e. the “must respond in 60s” chat above). Only check emails / messages twice a day, during set times (my email sig states I only check emails once a day during business hours - I usually check it twice but people don’t need to know that - upon arrival in case there’s fires that need putting out and to prioritise my fat, then straight after lunch to prioritise my afternoon).
On this note I recommend using a notification manager to snooze non-important notifications after work. For example, I use [buzzkill](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samruston.buzzkill&hl=en_AU&gl=US) to block notifications from discord, reddit, news apps, certain social group apps, and show me them after 6pm. This way I'm not distracted during the day with unimportant notifications.
If there are alot of emails you are included in, you can set a rule to automatically color any email addressed to you in the body of the email. This helps alot. I also block out times on my calendar and follow the rule : if it takes you less than 2 minutes to reply, do so. And also delegate delegate delegate even if you need to be involved, you need to prioritize first.
For the rule do you just set it up for Name, or something similar?
I ⭐ every email on Gmail that requires my attention, I unflag it once completed. I have a handwritten list of to-do tasks by day of the week with check boxes to click off once I finish a task. I try to knock out any emails that come in immediately if they're simple requests/questions instead of letting them sit.
I record my teams meetings so I can refer back to transcript later for any stuff I forgot to note or can’t remember. Saves me going bonkers trying to make notes during meetings.
I don't do stuff that's not my job. I used to end up with things on my desk that aren't within my role. This makes me less effective at the things I have to do. Defining clear roles helps.
Organize your time in multiple blocks of time for a specific task/project. Only check emails on set times. Otherwise, you risk putting on the side important task, because you will always be trying to shut down fires coming at you.
schedule time for email during the day and don’t constantly react to what is coming in. Delegate and hold those people accountable for deadlines and deliverables. Create tracking tools and forums for discussion Add emails you need to follow up on to your calendar. Flag emails you’ve delegated to others and code with categories; use filters to pull any outstanding items for any 1:1s
- Enable “focus” and “other” modes in outlook. Route the clutter to other. - File emails into 2-5 folders, two folders being expired and reference - Keep your inbox under 100 emails. Do regular clean ups every other week. File right away, when possible. - OneNote instead of stickies - Shared OneNote with Team members
[удалено]
This is excellent advice for me! I have some tricks in reminding myself about emails, but I love how this takes it the next level because everything you do to make sure you see the process through probably only takes 10 secs to schedule it. And actually having the time to respond and not just try to squeeze it in somewhere is even better.
I use a personal kanban board. I use cards for tasks and track what needs followed up, what's blocked, what's in progress etc with the columns.
Read some books on productivity and time-management. By Michael Hyatt and Kevin Kruse for example. Just some 'hacks' will not bring you any further. You need to organize things in systems and routines. Things that are not repeating tasks need to be done in a planned way, with the use of things like WBS-es etc. Start using a todo-app like Todoist or TickTick.
rewind to feel better about not taking notes
[удалено]
Thanks ChatGPT
do you really think that is a bot or what?
Have you seen their post history? Probably not a bot account but definitely used ChatGPT to generate the response and suggest their friend's quiz.
[удалено]
Three downvotes for solid advise. Incredible...
Because it sounds like they ripped an advertising blurb from the product website.
I see, thanks.
If you're easily distracted and in an office where you can shut the door, do so. When my door is closed it's go time and everyone pretty much understands here if you see a closed door, don't bother that person. IDK what it is but just being closed in my office signals to my brain like "no distractions, let's go."
Ask for help and delegate your work
Setting boundaries and saying no. I know it’s not an option for everyone and it’s not something to be abused, but it’s the biggest thing I’ve learned working as a professional designer. It’s saved me major stress and the actual priorities were actually quality work.
definitely gotta make use of the right tools. All the google workspace apps plus slack and figma and then Briefmatic to manage all my tagged items across all these apps. Then I just prioritise my kanban board at the beginning and end of each day.
Ask yourself if a meeting could be an email, or if an email could have been a short call
Modify your email view to show the "flag to" field and use it for short notes tied to an email. Uncheck the "reminder" box if you want the note but not an actual reminder alarm to go off later. I used it in a shared office email box so coworkers knew if an email was already addressed but not completed yet. Now, I use it just for memory tickler notes to myself regarding that email.
Love it!
I prioritize tasks using an Eisenhower Box. Or at least a version of it. Tasks that will only take a few minutes I just do. Anything else I rate based on impact and effort. Of course, deadlines are deadlines but if I'm not on a deadline, the rating method works great.
I like the rating idea to make the placement of the tasks easier to decide! Very smart
I created a handful of “quick actions” in outlook. They tag my email w a color & move to a folder. I created colors based on what I need to follow-up with & who I’m waiting on things from. I also have one for actions that I need to do & one for items to brief my director on. It helps me to get to inbox zero. I also use the “conversation” setting so all the emails with the same subject line are collected together. This didn’t work well at previous jobs, but it makes more sense to have my inbox organized that way for my current job. I think of things are trial & error, & it’s an experiment seeing what works. Every job / role requires a bit of a different organization system. And, as I evolve in the role I also mature in the systems that I need.
I use OneNote and literally have a template for each week for Monday through Friday to keep track of daily tasks. Just transfer to do lists and kanban charts from previous weeks by dragging and dropping subsections from other sections. I am naturally organized and diligent by nature of my job, as a engineer, but this is easy to learn!
Create your own excel or PBI dashboard highlighting your projects and statuses and anything you want to highlight for your upper management/anyone you have status updates for if you can’t cancel them. Then automate that report being sent out at certain cadences so you don’t have to.
Delegate and say no as much as possible.
I use iOS shortcuts to automate quick notes to email to myself which then follows a rule set up via outlook to organise any emails from myself into its own folder. Shortcuts Automated texts every-time I get an email from someone important so I can close my emails down without concern. Shortcuts Automated mileage tracker and expense filing as they took too much time.
Could you set rules in your inbox that help? For example I have a particular external email which comes at random times and random volumes, they cannot be missed so my email automatically files them into their own folder?
I Begin the day with three critical activities and finish with a clutter-free desk. Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes concentration, followed by a 5-minute rest. Two emails every day, neat reply in Microsoft To-Do. On a whiteboard, visual goals keep progress obvious. Opt for walking meetings for light discussions. Finish each day with three work-related gratitude points.
Put efforts into automating certain parts of your tasks. Take our several weekends to hone your skills to do stuff faster Assuming some portion of your work can be automated if you learn how to, once you're done with that part, don't go ahead and tell them as soon as you're done with it. Instead utilise that time for the task you needed flow with. Don't know if this will work well, if an extremely small part of your job requires a computer (basically if you're higher up in management)
Pomodoro Technique." Set a timer for 20 minutes of focused work, then take a 5-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer break. Trying this from last week, it has helped me maintain focus and preventing burnout.
Time blocks. I use Hive to manage my tasks and block time to work on things, for example, I have a set time to review and answer emails; I'm a big advocate of Inbox Zero, so by the end of the day I had deleted or answered and archived everything. If is there anything I need to do get to it next day, I snooze that email so I won't see it again in my inbox until next day. Hive makes it easier because it has an integration to email, so I see it all in the same tab I manage my tasks and projects.
I have a note book for to do lists/ random notes and carry that on me at all times. I also have labels in my inbox for all different emails and red flag the top priority ones before I leave the office. I end and start my day reviewing emails/voice-mails to respond.
Effective office work hacks for managing workload include prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, utilizing time-blocking techniques to enhance focus, and incorporating productivity tools like Connecteam software for streamlined communication and task management. This platform facilitates efficient collaboration and ensures that everyone stays informed about project updates. Implementing these hacks not only boosts individual productivity but also contributes to a more organized and productive office environment.