Managing time

Put the 4 Ds into practice

5 minutes

The 4 Ds only work if you apply them consistently.

Set aside 2–3 points in your day to actively process your emails and messages (e.g. start of day, midday, end of day).

This is not about staying on top of everything in real time and work through your inbox and messages once. Every item gets a decision: Do, Delete, Delegate, or Defer.

Applying the 4 Ds in Microsoft Outlook

Delete / Archive
Move irrelevant emails, newsletters, or “FYI” messages out of your inbox immediately. If it doesn’t require action or reference – remove it.
Do
If an email requires a quick response (under 2 minutes), reply straight away, then archive it. Do not leave quick tasks sitting.
Delegate
Forward the email to the appropriate person with clear direction on what’s needed. Make ownership explicit.
Defer
For anything requiring more time:
• Drag the email to your Calendar to block time
• Or flag it with a clear due date

Do not leave emails sitting in your inbox as reminders.

Applying the 4 Ds in Microsoft Teams

Delete / Archive
Mark messages as read and leave channels or chats that are not relevant or productive. Reduce noise.
Do
Reply immediately to quick or urgent messages. Use @mentions to respond or act quickly.
Delegate
Loop in the right person using @mentions, or share the message to Outlook to assign action.
Defer
• Use “Save this message” to return to it later
• Or create a task so it’s captured outside of chat

Doing this will help you avoid relying on memory or scrolling back through past chats.

The goal isn’t to clear everything. It’s to stop things sitting half-decided.

Hellomonday