Comments on: Coachology: Get better at dealing with email http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:26:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: A necessary thing: Penelope Trunk’s blog « Korean Adoptee Bride http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-149379 A necessary thing: Penelope Trunk’s blog « Korean Adoptee Bride Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:00:12 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-149379 [...] I do this already, and I wish other people would too: Coachology: Get better at dealing with email [...] […] I do this already, and I wish other people would too: Coachology: Get better at dealing with email […]

]]> By: Mike Song : Brazen Careerist - Coachology http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-136976 Mike Song : Brazen Careerist - Coachology Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:30:12 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-136976 [...] Get better at dealing with email [...] […] Get better at dealing with email […]

]]> By: Carter Cathey http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41714 Carter Cathey Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:50:07 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41714 Penelope, You mention that he suggested four categories: "He recommended just four categories. Which I confess makes me nervous, but I can’t say that my current system of ten thousand folders is working very well…" What were the four categories? Were the specific for you or more general in nature? Like you, my email files are very cumbersome. I started by giving every client a separate folder as a subfolder of client types folders, etc. I also put sent mail in these folders along with received mail. I like having a record of communication especially since I quote pricing and get approval to do projects via email. But, like you, I can spend way too much time looking for old email. I also get into trouble when an email could be sorted into a couple of different sub-folders. Anyway, I would be curious to know how four folders could take care of it all. Thanks, Carter Cathey p.s. Excellent article. I have followed the links from the article and from the responses with great interest. <strong>* * * * * * *</strong> <I>Hi, Carter. Good question. The folders that Mike recommends can be applied to anyone. They are sort of ways of thinking about our work. Here they are: Clients, Output, Team, Admin You have to sort of think about your own situation and figure out how to make the categories fit your life. I think, maybe, that the categories are not so important as the idea that we should each be able to winnow things down to four folders. -Penelope</I> Penelope,

You mention that he suggested four categories:

“He recommended just four categories. Which I confess makes me nervous, but I can’t say that my current system of ten thousand folders is working very well…”

What were the four categories? Were the specific for you or more general in nature? Like you, my email files are very cumbersome. I started by giving every client a separate folder as a subfolder of client types folders, etc.

I also put sent mail in these folders along with received mail.

I like having a record of communication especially since I quote pricing and get approval to do projects via email. But, like you, I can spend way too much time looking for old email.

I also get into trouble when an email could be sorted into a couple of different sub-folders.

Anyway, I would be curious to know how four folders could take care of it all.

Thanks, Carter Cathey

p.s. Excellent article. I have followed the links from the article and from the responses with great interest.

* * * * * * *

Hi, Carter.

Good question. The folders that Mike recommends can be applied to anyone. They are sort of ways of thinking about our work. Here they are:

Clients, Output, Team, Admin

You have to sort of think about your own situation and figure out how to make the categories fit your life. I think, maybe, that the categories are not so important as the idea that we should each be able to winnow things down to four folders.

-Penelope

]]> By: Andrew Flusche http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41179 Andrew Flusche Sat, 10 Mar 2007 02:21:40 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41179 Penelope, Your "EOM" trick intrigues me. I've read about that before, and I've tried it a few times. Unfortunately, one or two people thought it was strange. Have you had problems with "EOM" and people understanding the concept? Maybe I just emailed some un-adaptable people. Thanks, Andrew <strong>* * * * * * * </strong> <I>I think it only works with people you email often. They will catch on quickly and it will be woth the investment to have a hiccup or two before they catch on. But for people who you are only going to email once or twice, the practice has not caught on widely enough to assume that everyone knows what it is. The other thing I like about it, though, is it's sort of a secret code word for people to let each other know that they are consciously trying to improve how they use email. -Penelope </I> Penelope,

Your “EOM” trick intrigues me. I’ve read about that before, and I’ve tried it a few times. Unfortunately, one or two people thought it was strange. Have you had problems with “EOM” and people understanding the concept? Maybe I just emailed some un-adaptable people.

Thanks,
Andrew

* * * * * * *

I think it only works with people you email often. They will catch on quickly and it will be woth the investment to have a hiccup or two before they catch on. But for people who you are only going to email once or twice, the practice has not caught on widely enough to assume that everyone knows what it is.

The other thing I like about it, though, is it’s sort of a secret code word for people to let each other know that they are consciously trying to improve how they use email.

-Penelope

]]> By: Chris Yeh http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41124 Chris Yeh Fri, 09 Mar 2007 22:13:25 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41124 Penelope: Rather than having a file to look for your old links, you should use a tagging solution like del.icio.us. Tagging lets you classify each link into an arbitrary number of categories. For example, I could bookmark this post and classify it as: email productivity penelopetrunk Then it's easy to go back and search through your links. I've been using del.icio.us for about a year, and I've bookmarked 3,830 links. That would be totally unmanageable in "Favorites" but works great with a tagging/search interface. Here, check it out: http://del.icio.us/chrisyeh Or see what I've bookmarked about you: http://del.icio.us/chrisyeh/penelopetrunk I also strongly recommend the work of Merlin Mann on managing email. He calls his system Inbox Zero: <a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/03/13/inbox-zero/" rel="nofollow">http://www.43folders.com/2006/03/13/inbox-zero/</a> * * * * * * <I>Thanks for all the good advice. I will investigate tagging. And the links. You are always a good resource for ideas, Chris. --Penelope</I> Penelope:

Rather than having a file to look for your old links, you should use a tagging solution like del.icio.us.

Tagging lets you classify each link into an arbitrary number of categories. For example, I could bookmark this post and classify it as: email productivity penelopetrunk

Then it’s easy to go back and search through your links. I’ve been using del.icio.us for about a year, and I’ve bookmarked 3,830 links. That would be totally unmanageable in “Favorites” but works great with a tagging/search interface.

Here, check it out:
http://del.icio.us/chrisyeh

Or see what I’ve bookmarked about you:
http://del.icio.us/chrisyeh/penelopetrunk

I also strongly recommend the work of Merlin Mann on managing email. He calls his system Inbox Zero:
http://www.43folders.com/2006/03/13/inbox-zero/

* * * * * *

Thanks for all the good advice. I will investigate tagging. And the links. You are always a good resource for ideas, Chris.

–Penelope

]]> By: Stephen Seckler http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41044 Stephen Seckler Fri, 09 Mar 2007 17:34:42 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/09/coachology-get-better-at-dealing-with-email/#comment-41044 In my experience, e-mail can be misused in any number of ways. But so can the telephone, letters, voice mail, face to face conversations and instant messaging. Talking about how to use e-mail more effectively underscores the fact that many people do not think critically about how to best communicate (i.e. which medium to use.) E-mail is great for some things but terrible for others. I co-authored an article on the subject a while back ( http://www.bcgsearch.com/crc/email_career_opportunities_and_pitfalls.html ). Maybe we all need to learn how to communicate better in a more general way (e.g. use e-mail for scheduling; the phone, or in-person, for a sincere apology over a sensitive issue; IM to quickly run something by a person who is not near us physically.) In my experience, e-mail can be misused in any number of ways. But so can the telephone, letters, voice mail, face to face conversations and instant messaging.

Talking about how to use e-mail more effectively underscores the fact that many people do not think critically about how to best communicate (i.e. which medium to use.) E-mail is great for some things but terrible for others. I co-authored an article on the subject a while back ( http://www.bcgsearch.com/crc/email_career_opportunities_and_pitfalls.html ).

Maybe we all need to learn how to communicate better in a more general way (e.g. use e-mail for scheduling; the phone, or in-person, for a sincere apology over a sensitive issue; IM to quickly run something by a person who is not near us physically.)

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