by Andrea Kuchlewska

When my email box is overflowing it's tough for me to stop answering and start working on my most crucial deliverables. How do you take control and start managing your email inflow?

Tip One: Agree with your team that you will all use clear coding in the subject lines of your email. For example, a word  or phrase at the beginning of the subject line: "Input Needed," "Urgent," or "Please Answer by Friday."

Tip Two: Use your energy wisely. Answer email during "low energy" times of the day when you can sit and be quiet.

Tip Three: Remember that email is most useful when there is a clear request for action. If you are just communicating information that you would like the recipient to read and not act upon, the request for action might be, "Please read and keep in mind for our upcoming meeting on April 25," or even, "Please keep this in your file for reference, no need to read right now."

Tip Four: When emotional, use the phone. Be it email, text or Twitter, electronic options are not the best means of communicating tough-to-hear information. Be sensitive to the method of communicating what you have to say.

Tip Five: When in doubt about what you're writing, wait to press "send." Take a short break and re-read as if you are the recipient. You'll be glad you did.

Listen to Karlin's March 23 interview with Lynne Twist on World Changers Radio: Moving Away from an Economy of Fear

Lynne Twist -- a global activist, fundraiser, speaker, consultant, and author -- has dedicated her life to global initiatives that serve the best instincts in all of us. She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and trained thousands of fundraisers to be more effective in their work. Founded in 2003 by Lynne Twist, the Soul of Money Institute is a center for exploring and sharing the best practices, theories, and attitudes that enable people to relate to money and the money culture with greater freedom, power, and effectiveness. The Soul of Money Institute provides transformational and educational programs that inspire and empower individuals, organizations, and institutions to align the acquisition and allocation of their financial resources with their most deeply held values, and move from an economy of fear, consumption, and scarcity, to an economy of sufficiency, sustainability, and generosity. Lynne has recently been working with former Madoff investors and speaks about the shift in their attitudes around money and how we can learn from them.

World Changers Radio airs each Monday from 9:00am to 10:00am CST (10:00am to 11:00am EST). Shows are re-broadcast 12 hours later and archived for on-demand listening.

People, planet, and profits. It's our belief at Karlin Sloan & Company that organizational health and longevity is tied to measuring this "triple bottom line." Our monthly Sustainability Reports highlight opportunities to address organizational life from the perspective of sustainability.

This month, consultant Dorie Ellzey Blesoff reports on her work with the Green Task Force at Radio Flyer to increase their employee involvement in committing to sustainable business practices.

The Carbon Café: Employee Involvement in Committing to Sustainable Business Practices

By Dorie Ellzey Blesoff

You can imagine my delight when I was asked by the Chief Wagon Officer (CEO) of Radio Flyer, a client of mine for the last four years, to work with an employee-run team and identify ways to increase sustainable practices in their workplace. After enthusiastically preparing background materials and a network of resources for just this moment, I now had the chance to partner with the newly-formed Green Task Force. Our first opportunity to make something happen was a spot on the agenda of the March all-company meeting.

I created an interactive presentation that provided information in a way that was sobering, but not overwhelming. Because of my involvement in my own community's sustainability efforts, I was exposed to an approach used by one of the grassroots groups to educate and activate others. Based on the book Low Carbon Diet: a 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds, by David Gershon, the "Carbon Café" is a world café event which highlights global warming, including practical ways to decrease carbon emissions. My creativity kicked in, and "Global Warming: Coming to Our Senses" was soon launched.

A "Sense of Wonder," a "Sense of Urgency," and a "Sense of Commitment" were three elements that served as the framework for the workshop. "Sense of Wonder"  slides included  original photographs of the beautiful earth,  with harp music in the background. A "Sense of Urgency" slides included facts about global warming, graphs, pictures of stranded polar bars, and the latest analysis from the scientific community. 

"Sense of Commitment" included a "café" dialogue with an imaginative twist. Placed on the café tables were magazine pages, and participants were asked to select an image that best expressed their concern, and their hope, and to share with others at the table. The workshop concluded with a call from the Green Task Force co-chairs to meet the "One Ton Challenge" -- to lose 2000 lbs of carbon emissions in six months per person in the company. Through a visual the Green Task Force created, they are now tracking monthly the progress toward their goals. The visual is a tree with leaves of individual commitments and a thermometer that turns from black to green as emissions come down. 

For more information on the Carbon Café, please contact us.