E-mail gives us the ability to communicate in ways we didn't dream possible a few years ago. It's fast and efficient. It provides the wonderful opportunity to compose messages when the thought is fresh. And recipients can read, analyze and respond when and how they wish.
People certainly do make abundant use of this ever-available, easy-to-use tool. If your in-box overflows as mine does, you begin to think that half the population is playing a huge game of pass-the-buck, while the other half is mass-mailing offers to get-rich-quick.
After wading through my e-mail recently, I thought about a very successful IT director I was privileged to work for years ago. He was respected by just about everyone. In addition to many other positive traits, he always seemed to be well organized. His desk was clean, even though he directed a large IT organization.
One day, we were sitting in his office when his secretary delivered the day's mail, a huge stack that filled his large in-basket. I asked him how he managed to stay on top of the incredible pile of mail that came every day. His answer was simple and direct. "I try very hard to touch each of those pieces of paper only once," he said. "I read it and decide on the spot how to dispose of it."
You've probably heard that before. It bears repeating, though, because sometimes the uncomplicated ideas get pushed aside by the very things they are designed to address. Each item in your in-box is going to require a certain amount of time to read and dispose of. It isn't going to require less time later. Moving it to another box titled "Handle Later" not only creates extra work (it must be read again), but it lets procrastination invade your life. It takes resolve and a little bit of practice to go through the daily mountain of mail and deal with each item once with a sharp knife - but the rewards are handsome.
I owe a lot to that director. On another occasion he was lecturing several of us "young pups" on setting priorities and putting our efforts where they belong. "It certainly makes sense," someone said. "But how do you decide what to do first when you have several items with the same level of importance?"
He smiled and looked at us. "Pick the one that you least want to do, the one that you don't even want to think about - and do it first," he said. "The rest will be easy."
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Amy Schurr is an editor for Network World's Management Strategies and Features sections. If you have any career topics you'd like her to cover or want to comment on this newsletter, you can reach her at aschurr@nww.com.
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