ISG Blog

Following on from the post about moving off of Xtra for email it seems a good time to talk about Gmail. It is a whole lot more than just email, calendar, tasks and contacts (which it does exceptionally well with). Google Apps provide Word, Excel and Powerpoint type applications all in the browser (so you don't have to install anything). It also is a great storage option (Google Drive) for personal information but should not be used official or TSA related information. 

If you haven't heard about it or tried it before then I would suggest you head to Google.com and signup for an account then start exploring. It can simplify your life and make information portable (so you don't have to go to your computer to access that document) and shareable (yes you can collaborate and work on Google documents (spreadsheets and presentations) simultaneously with someone else!

The best work habit you can ever get into is very simple: Do your worst task first thing in the morning. Every given day, you've got one major to-do that's highest priority. But when you've got the whole day stretching out ahead of you, it's easy to put it off until after you get your coffee, check our email, or go to that meeting. But just like breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the first thing you accomplish at work sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Watch a video depiction of this here. This blog was written by Gina Trapani and originally published on FastCompany.com 

Many people find themselves caught in an avalanche of email which leaves them wallowing in their inbox and not working on more important tasks. Yes important information and requests flow through email, and yes often what you need to complete an important job is found or undertaken from in your inbox. However this post is about taking control of your inbox and not letting it dictate what gets done in your day.

Top tips for controlling your inbox:

1. Set aside time to deal with what is in your inbox (i.e. make the time to deal with it and don't jump in and out constantly)
2. Turn off new email popups ... using tip 1 go look at set times
3. Use the preview to quickly ascertain if the message has any importance for you
4. Setup rules to have your mailbox deal with messages automatically (there is an ISG tip sheet available for this)
5. Think about who you are sending messages to (don't include people unless they actually need a copy especially if you're going to talk to them about it)
6. Try not to reply immediately. Email isn't instant messaging
7. For quick questions use Sametime (instant messaging)