Outlook Tips to Improve Productivity

How many emails do you get and send daily? Do you hate opening Outlook at the start of each day? Do you worry about the number of unopened emails? Do you spend too much time replying to emails instead of doing actual work? Do not fret. You’re not alone in this!

Email management is one of the most prevalent issues for clients of IT service providers. A recent report found that employees spend over 90 minutes trying to recover from email interruptions during work hours. Given how much time we spend on emails, it’s hardly surprising that keeping track of our inbox may be difficult.

Fortunately, there are simple and practical strategies to improve your email inbox management and save you time. Effective email management can increase your productivity. So, if you’re looking for email management ideas, you’re in the right place. This article contains the best Outlook tips and techniques to help you get the most out of Microsoft Outlook. Below are these tips:

Start your day with your Outlook Calendar

Utilizing Outlook properly can increase your effectiveness one day at a time. When you initially launch Outlook, configure it to display your calendar rather than your emails. Start each day by checking your schedule to see what duties you need to perform and what appointments you have. 

This will help you to focus on the important things instead of getting swamped with emails first thing in the morning. 

You may open multiple instances of Outlook with one on Calendar and one on Email. Simply right click on the Outlook calendar icon and choose “open in new window”.

Another helpful calendar suggestion is to color code events. Because our brains absorb colors fast, you may use color coding to readily visualize your calendar. Meetings might be one color, while breaks can be another. Different colors can even be assigned to different sorts of work. Red, for example, may be used for high-priority work, while blue can be used for creative jobs. Color-coding your calendar helps you to easily visualize what the day comprises and ensure that it corresponds with your objectives.

Turn off notifications 

Turning off a feature that should help you see an incoming email instantly may seem paradoxical, but the truth is, it’s time to turn it off. Emails are not intended to be instant communications, and even if you work in a fast-paced setting where responding to emails is a large part of your job, it is OK to take out the time you require to work on other things. Finally, multitasking is a misconception that ultimately makes you less effective.

Set up regular “email checking” times, so you don’t feel too overwhelmed at the end of the day, but don’t let them take over. Otherwise, where is the time to work between emails and phone calls?

Mail organizing

A well-organized inbox allows you to access and process emails more efficiently. You can categorize emails and drop them in specially named folders. Your folders could have names like “take action,” “read,” “delegate,” and so on. 

One great benefit of maintaining a well-organized inbox is that new emails don’t mix up with older ones previously read. New emails cannot push vital ones down, where they may be forgotten. It may also help avoid the overwhelming feeling a cluttered email inbox gives.

The folder organization technique you choose is ultimately determined by your work schedule and who you work with/for. Keep things less complicated and group similar emails together. This will make it possible to find needed mails faster. Also, do not be afraid to do away with emails you have tagged as unimportant. That could be a category too. 

Employ automation

Using automation is one of the greatest email management ideas. You save time by automating actions. You can use automation to reply to the specific type of email you often receive by saving your preferred reply phrases, so you don’t have to type them every single time. An automated system is a good option for you.

To save even more time, try connecting Outlook with other programs you use, such as Zoom, Wunderlist, or Dropbox. Over three thousand apps can be linked with Outlook, so there’s likely to be something you can automate.

Activating read receipts

In a conversation, knowing that the other party has received and read your mail can save you a lot of trouble and anxiety. While this does not necessarily mean a fast reply, it ensures you know you have done your part, and the message has been delivered. 

Please keep in mind that this feature is only available when using a Microsoft 365 work or school account. 

Improve Email Efficiency with Skyline IT Management

Your email productivity can shoot up if an IT professional is in charge of proffering modern solutions to your business problems. 

Let Skyline IT Management do it for you. Contact us today to get started at 405-594-9282.