Email helps workers to communicate at any time, from any place. Email is an important tool, but it can also lead to a waste of time. How can workers make sure that email is tool and not time-waster-? Here are some simple tips to follow. They can help you use email more efficiently(高效地)at work.
First of all, turn off the sound in your computer that tells you that you have a new email message. That "You've got mail!" sound is like a telephone or a doorbell. It interrupts your work. When you hear it, you will want to check your messages. And it will take you at least a few minutes to get back to work after that. Can you imagine how much time you waste because of that little sound?
Second, limit how often you check your email. Try checking it only three times a day, for example, at 9:00, 12:00 and 16:00.Also, limit the time you spend reading and answering email each time. Fifteen minutes is usually long enough.
Third, use a separate email account for work and personal life. Do not give your work address to friends or family, and do not give your personal address to people at work. If you are working on several projects at one time, use a separate email account for each one. So you can focus on the most important project.
Fourth, you won't have to read all the email messages every time you open your email. You can look quickly at the subject lines and then decide which messages to answer right away. You can read the others later.
Finally, do not always use "reply to all" to answer email. Only send the message to people who need to read your answer. That way you won't fill your workmates' inboxes with messages that they don't need. And they won't waste time reading them.
If you follow these simple steps, you will be a more efficient worker. Best of all, you will be able to leave the office earlier.
