Yesterday I received calls from three clients  asking about an e-mail purportedly from Microsoft about a critical update for Outlook.   The Subject line message is from Microsoft Update Center and the subject line “Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Outlook“. When I checked my inboxI noticed that I received two of these messages.  At first glance they look like the real thing. It’s a...

Your time is your most valuable and finite asset.  It’s up to you to protect it. My morning ritual starts with reading Dilbert, Scott Adams’ brilliant comic strip.  As you can imagine I was pleased that his topic was about issues with Outlook. While Dilbert’s example is extreme, it shows the plight of many workers who fall prey to others using up your time.  The ability to use Outlook (or any other collaborative...

Do you ever feel frustrated or just plain angry at yourself because you spend too much time looking for things (often on you desk)? Do you have the same problem wit your stored e-mail? If so you’re not alone. In fact it’s one of the major pains expressed by my clients. Although computers are very good at finding things, the sheer volume of stored e-mail can make it difficult to find something important quickly. This is further...

Does this look like one of your file drawers? How about your Outlook folders about the same? Because your Outlook folders are electronic it doesn’t mean they’re neat and tidy. Here’s the key. If you’re spending more than two or three minutes searching through your Outlook folders each time you need something, then it’s time to re-think how you’re using them. One of the biggest frustrations my clients...

Yesterday I posted some principles that help you take control over the constant flow of e-mail. I’ve seen these simple changes in habit make a difference in many peoples’ lives just by applying them regularly. However some people have a very difficult time implementing even simple changes and I’ve often wondered why. Over the years as I work with coaching clients I’ve observed those in control of the e-mail flow and...

E-mail anxiety is one of the major reasons companies and individuals hire me. It comes at us constantly at an ever increasing pace and is not going away.  E-mail should be no more  urgent than paper mail, but it’s turned into a continuous interruption for so many people. Don’t be like this guy suffering from e-mail overload.  Apply the principles below to take control of your Inbox: End every day with an empty Inbox...