Coping with Information Overload: Is your Email an Epile

1
Coping with Information Overload Is your E-mail
an E-pile?

• Tips and tricks to help organize, maintain and
  control your email inbox

Presented by Dena Gazin, PaperCuts Coordinator,
Seattle Public Utilities
November 2, 2006
2
Agenda

• Introductions
• Overview of GroupWise 7.0
• Whats New Navigational Toolbar
• GroupWise Cabinet and folders
• Adding Columns
• Categories, Colors and Rules
• Archiving emails
• Tips on writing a good email
• Questions and review

(2) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
3
About the Instructor

• 8 years experience managing and organizing
  electronic information (E.g., computers,
  websites, databases)
• Masters degree in Library and Information Science
  (MLIS)
• 3 years working with the City of Seattle
• Department of Neighborhoods
• Office of Sustainability Environment
• Seattle Public Utilities
• Extreme email user

(3) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
4
GroupWise 7.0 - Overview
Proxy Access/ Archive
Navigational Bar (Colored Bar)
Filter box and icon
Toolbar
View Button
Graphic thankfully used with permission (GW 6.5
training manual)
5
GroupWise 6.5 vs. 7.0
Fixed gray background
Small icons
6.5
2 levels of navigation
Category filter symbol
Customizable tabs
Larger icons
Mutable background
7.0
3 levels of navigation
Quick Filter
(5) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
6
Navigational Toolbar Customizable Tabs

• GW 7.0 has a cool new way to help you access and
  save emails to your most frequented folders
  shortcut tabs along the top of the toolbar

• To Create Tab
• Right click anywhere along colored toolbar
• Select Customize Nav Bar
• Customize Nav Bar dialogue box appears
• Navigate to the folder you wish to add and place
  a check mark next to it
• Click on OK

(6) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
7
Navigational Toolbar Customizable Tabs

• GW 7.0 has a cool new way to help you access and
  save emails to your most frequented folders
  shortcut tabs along the top of your screen

• To Create Tab
• Right click on colored toolbar
• Select Customize Nav Bar
• Customize Nav Bar dialogue box appears
• Navigate to the folder you wish to add and place
  a check mark next to it
• Click on OK
• New tab created!

A shortcut to whatever folder you selected is now
accessible via the toolbar
(7) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
8
Navigational Toolbar Customizable Tabs II

• Cabinet tab not enough? You can add more!
• Right click to get Customizable Nav Bar
• Scroll through folder list to find new folder
  (can drill down as far as you want)
• Check folder and hit ok
• New tab for Book-It now created next to Cabinet

(8) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
9
Navigational Tabs What do they do?

• Access
• Quickly access and open folders you use most
  often
• Click on tab shortcut
• GroupWise opens folder to display messages

1.
2.
Navigational tabs can speed up you searching as
well. Instead of navigating to the folder you are
looking for via the left pane, you can use a
shortcut tab to navigate first to higher level
folder (e.g. Cabinet)
(9) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your E-mail
an E-pile?
10
Navigational Tabs Quick Save

• Save
• Highlight message you wish to move
• Drag message up to folder shortcut in
  navigational toolbar
• Drop! (Message disappears)
• Message has now been moved to new folder without
  going through cabinet navigation

1.
Before
3.
4.
After
(10) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
11
Nav Bar Changing Layout Colors

• To Change Layout Colors
• Right click on colored toolbar
• Select Customize Nav Bar
• Adjust color scheme (8 to choose from!) at bottom
• Click on OK

(11) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
12
GroupWise Cabinet Introduction

• Used to sort and store messages
• Looks similar to Windows Explorer
• Currently saves until you delete may change in
  the future to auto-delete in 45 days (like other
  City departments)
• Use naming conventions
• Select name that is both descriptive and short
• Folder name should be easily understood/
  deciphered (especially important for shared
  folders)
• Length should be no more than two words short
  is good!
• Use consistent punctuation

(12) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
13
GroupWise Creating Folders

• Right-Click on the Cabinet
• Select New Folder
• Youll now see the Create Personal Folder Dialog
  Box (below)

(13) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
14
GroupWise Creating Folders II

• 4. Enter the Name of the Folder in the next
  Window click Next

5. New folder is created (Default is not
alphabetical. Use Up/ Down buttons to place)
(14) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
15
GroupWise Creating Folders III

• 6. Click Finish ignore everything else.

• 7. The New Folder appears under the Cabinet.

(15) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
16
Cabinet Adding Messages
1.

• Highlight message you wish to move/save
• Drag and drop email message into folder

2.

• 3. Email is transferred from Inbox to folder

3.
(16) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
17
GroupWise Using Columns

• Email column headers are similar to those found
  in Windows Explorer
• You can sort by column (next step), or add new
  columns that better suit your needs.
• You can add columns to your mailbox (Inbox) or
  folders

• Sorting Columns
• Click the Wedge shape in any of the column
  headers to Sort
• Ascending or Descending. NOTE the Wedge
  Changes shape depending on Ascending or
  Descending.

(17) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
18
GroupWise Using Columns II

• Not limited to Name, Date, Subject
• Size
• Category
• Folder
• Message Status
• And many more
• You can add columns to your Inbox (above) or
  specific folders (right)

(18) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
19
GroupWise Adding Columns
1.

• Benefits of additional columns
• Can easily see data/ information that helps you
  quickly scan emails
• Only add columns you find useful
• Easy to add and delete
• To add new columns (simple)
• Right click anywhere along the grey toolbar
• Select new column header from list with cursor
• New column appears

3.
New columns are sortable!
(19) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
20
GroupWise Adding/Deleting Columns

• To add more columns
• Right click anywhere along the grey toolbar
• Select More columns
• Youre now given a choice of dozens of additional
  columns to add to your Inbox or Folder
• Highlight new column and click Add
• Click OK
• To delete columns
• Right click anywhere along the grey toolbar
• Select More columns
• Highlight the column you wish to remove and
  select Remove

(20) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
21
Colors and Categories

• Create eye-catching emails through the use of
  color and categories
• To Access
• Highlight message you wish to color-code
• Right click and select Categories
• Select a pre-set category, or create your own
  (next slide)

(21) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
22
Creating Categories

• Categories you select (or create) are fully
  editable you can easily add or change name or
  color
• To Create New Category
• Enter Category name
• Click Add
• New Category will now be viewable the next time
  you right click on highlighted message
• To Change Color
• Highlight Category you wish to modify
• Select Edit Color
• Choose color from available swatch
• Click OK

(22) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
23
Why Categories?

• Why Categories?
• Quickly add eye-catching color to emails you
  want/need to see first
• Can filter by categories
• Can create custom categories and then
  automatically have emails colored via Rules

(23) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
24
Rules Set up
1.

• To Set up a Rule
• Tools -? Rules
• Click New
• Name rule

2.
3.
(24) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
25
Rules Set up II
4.

• To Set up a Rule
• Tools -? Rules
• Click New
• Name rule
• Select Item Type
• Mail
• Appointment, etc.
• Define Conditions
• From a specific person?
• About a specific topic?
• With a specific word in header?

5.
(25) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
26
Rules Set up III
6.

• To Set up a Rule
• Tools -? Rules
• Click New
• Name rule
• Select Item Type
• Mail
• Appointment, etc.
• Define Conditions
• From a specific person?
• About a specific topic?
• With a specific word in header?
• Hit OK, then Run

Youll know your rule is working, once you see
the Rule Execution complete message box.
(26) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
27
What to do with Rules

• Why Rules are cool
• Create a rule to automatically color specific
  emails when they come into your email box
• Create a rule that will automatically move emails
  into a specific folder

Note This is where you set up your out of office
and vacation rules too!
(27) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
28
GroupWise - Archive

• Archive protects items from being Accidentally
  Deleted. Depending on your job requirements, you
  may need to use the Archive feature to Save
  E-Mail Messages to Keep Records of Substantive
  City Business.

• Why Archive?
• Tidies up your Inbox and folders decreases
  amount of email
• Removes emails you arent using/accessing on a
  regular basis
• Might one day be the only way to save emails
  longer than 45 days

• What to Archive
• Old correspondence
• Closed or obsolete projects
• Emails related to completed past events

(28) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
29
GroupWise How To Archive

• Locate email (or folder) you wish to Archive and
  highlight
• Right click on message (or folder) and select
  Move To Archive
• Message (or folder) disappears and is sent to
  your Archive

Helpful Hint I send myself a recurring
appointment at the start of each year, reminding
myself to archive at the start of each
month. You can archive either from the main
Group Wise mailbox (right pane) or from a folder
(on left).
(29) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
30
GroupWise Opening Your Archive

• There are two ways to open your archive
• Method 1
• Click on Online above your mailbox Name
• Select Archive
• Method 2
• Click on File and select Open Archive

(30) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
31
GroupWise Navigating the Archive

• You can always tell if youre in the Archive as
  it will say
• (Archive) Novell GroupWise Mailbox
• To un-archive any message
• Highlight message and right click
• Click on the checked Move to Archive
• This unchecks the box and moves the
• message back to your Inbox

• To return to mailbox, uncheck Open Archive

(31) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
32
GroupWise What Not to Keep

• Rule of thumb If someone else has it, you dont
  have to keep it
• Not all email needs to be saved
• What can be deleted
• General City or Dept. all notices
• Notices from IT
• Requests for general information
• Personal emails
• Remember Delete after you read!

(32) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
33
GroupWise Fine Print

• City Employees Should Retain Electronic Records
  That Contain Substantive City Policy - This is
  equally true for both paper and electronic
  records, regardless of the format (e.g. Word,
  e-mail, Excel.)
• Most Records are Subject to Public Disclosure -
  Like most paper records, most electronic
  documents generated for a City purpose, are
  subject to the State open records act (RCW
  42.17.250). A useful rule of thumb is that
  electronic records, including e-mail messages,
  should be composed with the same care given a
  comparable paper memorandum.
• Scope of Requirement - For all routine/non-policy
  notes, messages, or transmittal letters
  short-term retention in the employees mailbox is
  sufficient. All policy correspondence and reports
  (either messages or attached files) should be
  archived on individual hard drives or on the City
  Light server.

• Retention of Electronic Records from -
  http//sclweb/dpp/misc/EMailuse.htm

(33) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
34
Tips on writing good emails

• Tips taken with permission from Joanne Antons
  GroupWise 6.5 manual

(34) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
35
Emails and Printing

• 11,000 approximate number of City of Seattle
  employees (regular, part-time and temp)
• If everyone prints just one email a day
• 11,000 sheets x 5 55,000 sheets a week
• 55,000 x 52 weeks 2,860,000 sheets a year
• Thats 5720 reams. This is more paper than the
  Legislative Dept., Personnel, and the Dept. of
  Neighborhoods combined.
• Bottom-line If everyone can print one less page
  per day, the City will save nearly 3 million
  sheets thats more than 1.5 Space Needles! (953
  ft. to be exact)

(35) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
36
GroupWise 7.0 - Recap

• Introduction to the new GroupWise 7.0 navigation
  bar and quick tabs
• Introduction of GroupWise Cabinet
• How to create and organize emails by project or
  topics
• Organized similar to Windows Explorer
• How to add and sort columns
• Introduction to GroupWise Archive
• Emails are saved longer than 45 days
• Same file folder structure as In-box
• Un-archive to reply or forward, but re-archive to
  save again
• Introduction to categories and colors
• Short intro/demo on Rules
• Overview of what to keep and not to keep
• Confidence in finding old emails less
  likelihood you print for fear youll never find
  again

(36) 2006 Library Staff Day Is Your
E-mail an E-pile?
37
Thank you!

• Questions?
• This slide presentation and other GroupWise and
  papersaving tips, available on the PaperCuts
  website http//www.seattle.gov/papercuts
• Other useful websites
• http//www.seattle.gov/papercuts/
• http//inweb/clerk/RecordsManagement/
• http//inweb/personnel/training/materials.asp
• URL for accessing GroupWise from home
  http//gwweb.seattle.gov/gw/webacc

(37) City of Seattle Managing With
Electronic Documents