Reducing Email Notifications

Say it with me- “My Inbox is not my to do list.” Unfortunately, for many people it is. But it shouldn’t be.  If you let your inbox be your to do list, you will lose the day. You will be reactive instead of focused. Your top priorities for the day will not get done because your day is consumed by unexpected and/or unimportant stuff that comes into your inbox. So how do you prevent your inbox from ruling your day? Here are some things that I’ve found work for me: 𝟭. 𝗡𝗼 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Turn off notifications for email on all devices. This is a non-negotiable for me. Not doing so will kill your productivity. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅. Utilizing a tool that pauses your inbox and only delivers messages during certain times of the day. I personally use Boomerang for Gmail and get my email delivered 3 times a day. Build your unpauses around unproductive and/or intentional times of the day. Two of my unpauses are right before lunchtime and towards the end of the day. 𝟯. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀. In most cases, do not respond to emails immediately. If you do, one email can suddenly lead to a ten email chain that before you know it consumes 30+ minutes of your day. In essence your email turns into a slow chat tool. We have a company wide communication policy of a 24 hour response window. 𝟰. 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀. If it’s clear that it’s going to be a tough issue to work through via email (think a lot of back and forth) then pickup the phone and save both sides a bunch of time. 𝟱. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. If something comes in via email that does require becoming a to do item, create a task for it in your project management system and keep that to do item out of your inbox.  𝟲. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. This is the one I know I need to do but have not successfully done. Early AM is my most focused time and I don’t need to get distracted by emails or to let something in my email hijack my day from what I planned to do. Say it one more time - “My Inbox is not my to do list.” What ticks and trips do you have for you on how you don’t let your inbox rule your day?  

Getting lost in the pile of email? Email has become the bane of modern work life. The average professional spends a staggering 2.6 hours per day on email. However, it's possible to save over half of this time by following these five steps: Check email hourly instead of every 37 minutes. Disable notifications and schedule time to check email every hour. This can save 21 minutes per day. Apply the single-touch rule. Archive or delete emails after reading them the first time. Emails requiring action should be moved to a to-do list. This can save 27 minutes per day. Use search instead of folders. Searching with keywords or operators is faster than navigating through folders. Integrate email with to-do lists for easy task creation. This can save 14 minutes per day. Use keyboard shortcuts for archiving. Have only two folders: one for emails requiring action and one for future reading. Use keyboard shortcuts to archive emails into these folders. This can save 11 minutes per day. Avoid processing irrelevant emails individually. Set up filters for newsletters you read, unsubscribe from unwanted ones, and block spam. This can save 8 minutes per day. By implementing these five practices, you can regain over an hour of your workday, previously lost to inefficient email habits. #EmailTricks #Declutter #Productivity

Emails are killing CSM productivity on a daily basis. They have become a menace & an interruption at work! Here's the Math, as a CSM: - If you manage your emails well/ have a large enterprise BoB - you get ~30 emails daily - Now if on an average you spend 5 mins/ email - This is 150 mins (2.5 hrs.) spent just on emails - Which is more than 30% of your working hrs. - Now after each email a person needs an avg. 64 secs to focus back - So adding that to the time spent (another ~30 mins) - With just ~30 emails a CSM is spending at least 3 hrs. of the work day Imagine the CSMs managing SMB customers(scale set-up), younger products, early lifecycle customers. They will end up doing this dance for almost the entire work day. When do they actually get the time to work? CS emails need to reduce; they are a: 1. Time sinkhole: you start the day with a plan, end it with most of the time spent on emails! Email is a habit forming product that provides variable rewards by building uncertainty. 2. Distraction: every “ping” or "notification" is like a dog whistle for your focus. There go your precious minutes getting the focus back. 3. Meeting killer: you get an "important" email right before a customer meeting & even though you are in front of one customer, your mind is with another. 4. False sense of accomplishment: email is just an engagement mechanism, it is not work. Most of us end up using them as a distraction, to give us a false sense of accomplishment. Some of my suggestions & learnings: 1. To receive fewer emails, send fewer emails: somethings are just a meeting/ a call/ well don't need any communication. 2. Batch processing: set specific time slots to work on emails. Yes, this means no more checking every 5 minutes like a junkie. 3. Unsubscribe: cut the noise. If it’s not critical, hit unsubscribe, eliminate unwanted emails. Product updates should be a board. 4. Templates: stop typing the same responses over & over. Use templates & tailor with specific details. Keep it crisp, no one wants an essay. 5. Email tools: get tech help. Tools like Boomerang or SaneBox are great for managing the chaos. 6. Filter & tag: use filters & labels to organize & prioritize. Your inbox should be working for you, not the other way around. Technology is an enabler only till we are in control & it works for us - otherwise, it is a distraction or worse an addiction. P.S. Those constant Slack pings or group chats are not doing us any favor either. Block 1:1 https://lnkd.in/gjQxGq7f for coaching or structuring CS playbooks/ team/ tech. in your org. #Email #Communication #Distraction #DeepWork #Focus #CS #CustomerSuccess #CustomerSuccessManager #CSM #CSLeaders #Founders #CXOs #B2B #SaaS

Your focus is under attack. (And it’s not your fault.) You’re losing hours of deep work. Here’s why: Actuaries live in a world of numbers, models, and laser focus. But one enemy keeps sabotaging your flow: emails. Every ping forces your brain to switch gears: - Check one email → lose 23 minutes of focus (research-backed). - Repeat this 5x a day? That’s 2 hours GONE. Worse? Most emails aren’t urgent. Just noisy. Here’s how to fight back: - Lock “email hours” on your calendar (ex: 10 AM and 3 PM). - Kill notifications. No mercy. - Train your team: “Need me urgently? Call. Otherwise, wait.” - Filter ruthlessly. Let non-urgent emails rot in a folder until your next batch. Your brain isn’t built for inbox chaos. Protect your focus like your best actuarial model. Question for you: What’s your # 1 email-blocking hack? (Share below - let’s fix this together.)  

Email isn’t going away anytime soon. But it doesn’t have to run your day. Try these 5 habits to take back control of your inbox and reduce the overwhelm. They’ll save you time, sharpen your focus, and help you feel on top of your game. (And yes, they actually work.) 𝐄 – Exit your inbox • Schedule 3–4 set times to process email (AKA batching). • Stay out of your inbox in between. • This one shift boosts focus and wins back loads of time. (You’re welcome.) 𝐌 – Mute notifications • Turn off email alerts (yes, on both desktop and phone). • Fewer dings = fewer distractions. • You’ll stop playing inbox defence and feel more in control. 𝐀 – Apply the 4 Ds • Read once, then:  • Delete  • Do  • Delegate  • Defer • Defer with intention. Use a task app. Or add a category if you write your to-dos by hand. • Decide and move on. 𝐈 – Integrate simple systems • File emails in just 1 folder! Feels counterintuitive, but it saves time. • Use rules or filters to triage and stay organised automatically. • A few smart systems = a calmer inbox. 𝐋 – Leverage AI to draft emails • Let AI write the first draft, then make it yours. • Use BLUF: start with the bottom line up front (AI helps with this!) • Clear replies, less mental load, faster responses • Try Smart Compose (Gmail) or QuickSteps (Outlook) to speed up repeat replies. 💙 Thanks for reading. 💬 What’s your favourite timesaving email tip? Share it in the comments. ♻️ Repost to help your network master their inbox too.