MS Outlook – Tips & Tricks
by Chris Leong
Everytime when I try to focus on doing work, I always got distracted by those pesky email notification. It pops up everytime there is any incoming email. Here is how you disable it.
Turn Off E-Mail Notifications
Because an e-mail notification icon appears whenever you receive new e-mail, it’s tempting to stop work and open new messages immediately. But you can turn off the notification and then check your e-mail when it’s convenient for you. Here’s how:
1. In Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, click Tools, click Options, click E-mail Options, and then click Advanced E-mail Options.
2. In the middle of the dialog box, clear the Display a New Mail Desktop Alert check box.
Chris Leong 
Well, this is one way to help those busy guys to concentrate on what they are doing at the time. But there are times, when we need to check out specific email instantly.
Best practice is to define specific “rules” for incoming messages, based on the importance, sender,subject and more! so that no important/urgent email message get staled while not all the messages interrupt the user:
Tools >> Rules and alerts >> New Rule…
cheers