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Seven tips to manage inbox overload

While Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Plaxo connect us with friends and colleagues and provide a platform for alumni groups, civic issues, fan clubs and the classroom, and Moms' pleas for paper cups and markers, social media trickles into an already full stream of email and information overload. Who isn't struggling to stay afloat?

It takes time and lucidity to craft a witty Evite acceptance, update your Facebook profile or write a colleague a proper recommendation on LinkedIn. This "Social Daze Shun," (my term for inundation of social media) combined with work and personal email inboxes that often have up to 2,500 emails (with 800 unread) builds stress and lessens productivity.

To help, try some of my favorite email and social management tips:

  1. NO to notifications. Turn all email notifications off. This saves you from constant interruptions when new emails arrive.
  2. Twice-a-week Twittering.  Schedule blocks of time in your day/week to process your work email and time to relax and respond to personal email and social media. Remember, it's supposed to be fun, not a chore.
  3. Send entire messages as the subject line with < EOM>, the acronym for End of Message, at the end. This way, the user does not have to actually open the email.
  4. Include agreed-upon action acronyms in subject lines to help co-workers quickly tune into your subject. Sample acronyms: < AR>, Action Required; < MSR>, Monthly Status Report.
  5. CAPS in subject lines also help next steps stand out e.g., Please REVIEW/APPROVE by EOB Thurs. Sept. 10th.  
  6. Flag an email for yourself or a colleague for follow up in MS Outlook - it's automatically added to tasks.
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