Email Survival Skills: Survival Tips Compatible with Microsoft Outlook 2010 & 2013 (2015)

Click and Drag: Sharp Knife

Even though a knife could technically fall under ‘Repair Kit and Tools,’ I believe it needs a separate mention because a good sharp knife is critical for outdoor survival. The knife cuts rope, sharpens small branches into spears (or sticks for roasting marshmallows), helps cut branches for making an emergency shelter and provides boredom relief in a myriad of ways. A sharp knife is better than a dull knife, so be sure to add a knife sharpener to your repair kit.

Two specific Microsoft Outlook Inbox features can sharpen your productivity and save you time. Both are click and drag techniques, one to the Calendar and one to Tasks.

The first feature is click and drag to the calendar. When you look at your Inbox and are in the pre-assessment or scanning mode with your binoculars and you see an email containing a task that is URGENT and has a deadline needing a quick turnaround, click on that email and drag it to your calendar. A calendar item will open. Fill in the information completely with the date and time slot of when you plan on completing the task. It now becomes part of your workflow on a specific date. Your mind is at rest because you know the task is scheduled and will not be forgotten.

As you scan through your emails, undoubtedly, you will find one that has a one sentence simple request but will take you up to 10 hours to complete. An example is, “Brandon, find a hotel for the annual planning retreat and make sure golf is convenient.”

Click on this email and drag it into the Tasks folder. In the Tasks folder, you can organize it, plan the execution, execute, and send the necessary information back to the requester.

These two click-and-drag techniques work like a sharp knife to help you take control of the thunderstorm of email entering your Inbox on a daily basis.

As mentioned above, a sharp knife is used for cutting. Cutting is a valuable email tool as you can:

· Cut the fluff.

· Cut the content by addressing one topic per email.

· Cut the time the receiver takes to read the email by using bullet points and numbered lists.

· Cut the number of emails you return. Sometimes a return email with only a “Thank You” is unnecessary.

These tips will cut the time you spend per email.