USING YOUR TIME EFFICIENTLYBlackBerries and other wireless devices compete
for our attention. Technology has made commu-
nication easier and faster, but it has also buried
us in information. In the past, handling corre-
spondence was simply a matter of going through
a stack of letters and memos. Now, it’s not
uncommon to receive over 50 e-mails a day that
demand your immediate attention. Meanwhile,
even as technology promised to bring about “the
paperless offi ce,” we still receive plenty of hard
copies of reports, memos, letters, and junk mail.
When you receive an e-mail or document, read
it to evaluate whether it requires any action on
your part. If you receive hundreds of e-mails a
day, reading everything that shows up may be
pointless. Master the “art of the glance” and deter-
mine what you can justifi ably ignore. Learn to
Don’t read every e-mail right away.
Scan over messages to determine
which require immediate action.
Do designate a specific time of the
day to handle e-mails.
Do respond to e-mails promptly.
Don’t let e-mails accumulate and
clutter your inbox. Delete or file
them after you’ve dealt with them.