Home
>
Get Organized - Organization
>
Overcoming E-mail Overload Using Microsoft Outlook

Overcoming E-mail Overload Using Microsoft Outlook

Do you feel like you just get too much e-mail? If you're like me, some days you just don't know where to dig in. Fortunately, I've found a few tips that can help you dig out from under the pile and organize the important e-mails in your life. These tips are primarily for Microsoft Outlook users, though others may find them useful as well.

Use Colors to Distinguish E-mail Sent Only To You - I get copied in on all sorts of e-mails, so I can understand what's happening with a variety of things. Many I am able to just look over and file for later. The ones sent only to me are usually important ones that need my action and often immediate attention. By clicking on Tools, and then Organize, then by clicking on Using Colors, I am quickly able to change the color of messages sent only to me. I mark these as blue, but you can use another color if it suits you. And while you're in there...

Use Colors to Distinguish E-mail Sent From Your Manager and Other Important People - More often than not, you'll need to pay attention to e-mail sent from your manager, your manager's manager, and other VIPs. Change the color on these to another color you know is important. I use magenta, but use what you like.

Click on various column headings to sort for important senders - Do you ever *know* that someone sent you an e-mail, but you're not sure when, and you're not sure what the subject is? If so, just click on the From column heading, and you can quickly sort by sender, and if you type the first letter of the sender's first or last name, you will jump to that letter in your messages. You can do this in any folder, and can always change back by clicking on the date column heading to sort by most recent or oldest.

Don't open any attachment from anyone outside your company unless you were expecting it - This goes for e-mail from your friends and family too. Just because the e-mail says "Funny joke. Open now!" doesn't mean it really is a funny joke. This could be a virus that will crush your entire work network, and you don't want to do that. Take it from someone who gets calls on this every day. If you don't know, just delete the message. If it's important, they will re-send it. Trust me. Or call the sender if you know them and ask them if they really sent you an attachment. They'll know.

Don't use your work e-mail address to sign up for newsletters, eBay, Amazon, or product activations, and especially don't check the box that says the value added partners can send you information. This is just an invitation to sending you garbage e-mail. To combat this, get a free Hotmail, Yahoo, or other account that you think of as a disposable account to collect all of this stuff. Sure, some you may read, but most is just junk anyway. Once you get on the list, you'll never get off the list. And along with that...

Never click on the unsubscribe button for any message you didn't specifically sign up for. This is like saying "Hello, this is a valid e-mail address. Please send me lots of garbage e-mails."

Last but not least, keep your work e-mail for work stuff, and your personal e-mail for personal stuff. Don't mix the two. Trust me, the more people that e-mail you at work, the more people think it's okay to e-mail you at work, the less productive you are at work, and the further behind you feel.

Phil Gerbyshak leads a team of people as manager of an IT Help Desk in Milwaukee, WI, and finds that sharing his knowledge is a crucial component for success as a leader and as a person. Phil's personal philosophy is paraphrased from Tim Sanders' fantastic book Love is the Killer App: "Share your knowledge, your network, and your love. The rest will follow." Feel free to contact Phil at http://makeitgreat.org or call 414.640.7445 anytime.

family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..

In The News:

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Overcoming E-mail Overload Using Microsoft Outlook

Get Organized - Organization