Holiday season is upon us, and after holidays, coming back to work season.
I have thought recently about the dreadful moment of opening my mailbox and sifting through hundreds of emails on my first day after holidays, and how it is never as bad as it first look.
Throughout the years I have learned a few things that help me with getting through that first touch of reality, and I decided to share it with you today.
1. Start from the newest emails and go back to the past. I used to start from the old ones thinking that they waited long enough, but then it turns out most of the issues get resolved without your help, or they get more complicated. So, starting from new ones, you can save yourself time and stress.
2. Check direct messages from your line manager/closest cooperator first. If you are in CC, don’t bother, if there were more direct recipients, check if someone else did the work.
3. If you were added as a part of mailing list, and the sender is not your direct manager or closest cooperator, treat it as FYI unless message specifically tells you to act.
4. Don’t act on anything right away. Unless, maybe, the reply is as simple as yes or no. Make a list, maybe flag some messages, and let it go. Meet with
your backup or your manager and check with them on the priority of tasks.
5. Remember, you are on holidays but there are still people at work that do their job. If you created good handover and made a plan for your absence, you can take it easy after your return.
Let me know if you have the same rules in place. Or maybe something does not apply to your situation?
P.S. change line manager with MVCustomer and you can still follow the same rules.