Of course, these tools are effective if, and ONLY IF, they are set up and used properly. For a truly effective email management system, you only need two Folders: Archive and Filtered. Delete a folder and what’s in it is scattered to the wind. They just sit there and accept whatever you put into them. “Folders” are not “Search Folders.” Folders have no magical powers. You can create them to invoke a rule, move a message, forward a message, create an appointment, flag a message, create a task or do ALL of those things simultaneously with the click of the mouse or the push of a button. Quick Steps enables you to package several actions together into one quick keystroke or click. Quick Steps really makes email management faster. You can also drag those magical Search Folders into Favorites instead of letting them languish in the “Search Folders” grouping at the very depths of the left pane. In Microsoft Outlook, Favorites are at the top of the left pane in your email, and you can customize them to show only the things you access most. For example, I’ve created a Rule for “News” emails that come from a variety of sources and use Categories to label it News. But, the real power of Categories comes out when you combine them with Rules. Most people use them in their calendars to see what is business and personal at a quick glance. They’re those color tags you attach to an email, contact, or calendar item. While similar to Search Folders in power, Rules are primarily actions that take place the moment an action happens, like when I get a notification from LinkedIn (and know I can ignore it). RulesĮmail Rules enable you to tell Outlook to do very specific things with sent or received messages. So, if I think to myself, “Self, did you send that email to Kathryn about the blog post you just wrote?” Instead of digging through the hundreds of emails I send every week, I have a Search Folder that is only email sent to and received from Kathryn, and I didn’t even have to file one email because Outlook does all the work. Using the Search Folder feature, you can select all unread mail, mail from and to specific people, mail with attachments, mail with specific words, etc.įor example, I have several people I regularly send email to and receive emails from. The great thing about Office 365 is that there are so many tools built in to help manage your email efficiently if you’ll just use them correctly.Ħ Basic Microsoft Outlook Features That You Should Be UsingĪ Search Folder lets you tell Microsoft Outlook exactly what you want it to find and put into a folder. Offers (Dell, Southwest Airlines, Fast Company, Verizon, etc.).Notices (LinkedIn updates, Go Daddy, American Express, etc.).News (News organization updates, Chamber of Commerce, industry publications, etc.).Important (a very minor percentage of the whole).There are generally four types of emails: This is because most email is hogwash that doesn’t need to be opened or filed. None of these suggestions have ever worked for me. Close your email when you need to focus.If you want to be better at your job, you have to use email less, but you still have to use it. How can you take charge of your email? You’ve probably read a million different suggestions. If you don’t use email, you’ll probably lose your job.
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