Keeping Track of Requests in a Folder Called @Waiting For

This is one of my all-time favorite tips. We often use e-mail to request something from someone, or to tell someone that we will do something for them. By using the tip below, you won't have to worry ever again about forgetting to remind them if they don't respond. This tip will save an additional copy of your e-mail in a special folder called @Waiting For. That way, you can check that folder every so often to make sure the person got back to you. If they haven't, you simply go to @Waiting For, open the e-mail, click on Forward, and send it back to them as a new e-mail. You can say something like—“I know you're swamped, but I'm checking in to see if you've had a chance to [whatever you originally asked them to do]?” That way, they get a reminder which includes the original e-mail (text, date, etc.)! Because the new e-mail already had “wff” in it, a copy will automatically be put into @Waiting For again and you will have a record of what you asked for and your follow-up efforts to get it.

1. Create a new folder in your Inbox called @Waiting For (by putting the @ symbol in front, it will appear at the top of the list of folders
2. Click on Tools > Rules and Alerts
3. Click the New Rule button
4. At the top of the next box, select “Start from a blank rule”
5. Highlight “Check messages after sending”, then click Next
6. Check off “With specific words in the body”. Then click on “where specific words is underlined” and choose a unique
7. keyword for your rule, such as *wff* (for “waiting for folder”) Click Add, then OK, then Next
8. Check off “Move a copy to the specified folder.” Then click on the “where specific Folder is underlined” and choose the @Waiting For folder
9. Click Finish

The next time you send an e-mail that you might have to follow up on, type wff as the last line of the e-mail, and this tip will automatically work for you!

Tip provided by Reba J. Nance, Director of Law Practice and Risk Management, Colorado Bar Association.