Understanding the Problem

If you were to look right now, how many emails are in the inbox?  Before reading any further, are you brave enough to put a comment to this blog with the current total?  A public comment that everyone can see.  There will be no judging here…I promise.

The Idea of an Empty Inbox

So here is the problem, we constantly measure our importance with arbitrary and sometimes pointless measures.  I have worked with, traveled next to, and asked for important information from people who had literally hundreds of emails in the inbox.  It was a point of pride for them.

I am not talking about nicely organized email in subfolders.  I am not talking about someone who has just returned from a lengthy vacation.  I am talking about someone who spends significant time every day fishing through a clogged inbox trying to find a vital piece of information.

At any given moment during the workday my inbox has less than 10 emails.  I have subfolders organized into a handful of headings (Executive, Read Later, Accounts with subfolders of each account, and Team with a subfolder for each team member including myself).

If you are fortunate enough to work for a company that allows unlimited inbox storage, these subfolders are the key to keeping all of your devices in sync.  If your company limits the size of your inbox, these techniques will still apply, but won’t be as convenient.  Frankly, if you work for a company that still limits the size of your inbox, you may want to consider changing that. (left open for interpretation intentionally)

Back to my inbox, there are about 10 emails in there.  Each of these emails specifically require that I perform an action.  None of these emails are “Nice to Know” emails.  None of these emails are unread.

I practice a Quasi-Zen philosophy loosely based upon the Inbox Zero that I call “Do, Delegate Delete”.

My goal is to “touch” an email the fewest times possible.  When I review the queue of new emails (I do this way too frequently, but that is an addiction), I first decide if this is an email that deserves my attention.  I can usually tell pretty quickly based upon the number of people of the To: line and who sent the email.  Here are my rules:

1. Have I seen this before and can I simply file it? (nice to know)
2. Is this a task I can complete quickly? (measured in seconds)
3. Is this a task that only I can complete? (if no, do I need to be informed about the task’s progress and completion?)
4. If there is no task, do I need to read this now? (need to know)

My goal is to focus on requests that require my attention.  These fall into two categories: ones which can be completed quickly and ones that require more time to complete because they are more complex.  I don’t worry as much about urgent versus important in this case.  Importance is typically a product of who sent the email multiplied by how urgent it is for them to receive that information.  If your boss or their boss needs an update, no matter how insignificant, that urgent request can quickly become the most important action you have to complete.

“Do” Feels Good

Completing tasks is satisfying.  I hate waiting for someone else.  As such, I don’t like to keep others waiting for me.

If someone has asked a question that is simple to answer, requiring only seconds of my time, I complete the task and move that email into its appropriate subfolder (or delete it if appropriate and document handling guidelines allow).

That email is no longer burdening my inbox, I have satisfied someone else’s need, and I have contributed to the common good.  All in a matter of seconds.  That is a fair trade of my time.

If a request requires more than a few seconds, the decision becomes a little more difficult.  If it is important I complete the task, I schedule time to complete the task based upon priority and acknowledge that I have done so to the email sender (I will have it to you Tuesday by 5).  This last step is important as it minimizes the need for additional emails requesting and providing status updates.

It is important to note that picking up the telephone may be the most efficient means to completing the task eliminating email with a more effective mode of communication.

“Delegate” Feels Better

For tasks that are a little more cumbersome or require scheduling time to complete, I evaluate if it is essential I complete the task.  Delegated tasks are opportunities for others to show their ability.  Delegated tasks remove you from the critical path.  Delegated tasks allow you to focus your time on other items.

I regularly ask new managers, or those who want to manage larger teams, about their ability to “Hold their breath and close their eyes.”  Delegation should be done with a great deal of trust.  Delegation should also be done with a clear expectation of how you expect to receive status updates. “Joe, Mary needs this by Tuesday at 5.  Can you sync up with her and make sure she gets what she needs?  Call me if you need assistance, but I trust you will get this done.  Send me the summary for my records.”

Notice that I asked the person to whom I delegated to work directly with the requestor.  I am trying to take myself out of the interim communications. I need to know if my assistance is required and when the task is complete.

“Delete” is hard

Delete may not be an option based upon the policies of your organization.  I delete emails that are unsolicited marketing/spam related.  Most other emails are filed away in the appropriate tidy subfolder.

Here is the secret, create a “Read Later” folder and put emails in there that are interesting, you may want to read, will teach you something, or you are sure you will read when you get some free time.

When you get a large block of free time, prioritize what is in the “Read Later” folder and read starting with the email of greatest value.  When you are done reading the email, file it appropriately in another folder.  Repeat this process until the time is used up.

Any items that have resided in this folder for an extended period of time, by definition, are low priority and can be deleted.

The hard truth is that I find very little time to delve into this folder and consider this as a deferred delete.

Unclogging your inbox

The following directions will unclog your inbox quickly.

1. Create a subfolder of your inbox called “Old Inbox”
2. Move everything in your current inbox into “Old Inbox”
3. The end

Ok, it is not quite that simple, but it’s a start.  When you can find some quiet time, complete the below tasks.

4. Sort the “Old Inbox” by the sender. Delete any bulk messages that you a brave enough to delete. Typically these are newsletters and unsolicited marketing emails.
5. Sort the “Old Inbox” by the date received. Move anything older than a few weeks into their appropriate subfolders of the main inbox. If they are/were truly important, you have either already completed the task or missed the deadline.
6. Sort the remaining emails in “Old Inbox” by thread. Move only the most recent email to your main inbox. File the remaining emails.
7. The end. This time for real.

Your main inbox should now be significantly streamlined.  Applying the empty inbox rules from the start of this blog will allow it to remain so.

Returning from Out of Office

Let’s talk about the email train wreck that is inevitable: You have returned from an extended absence and your nice streamlined inbox has returned to the clogged disorganized mess that it was before you left….What do you do?

Start with good habits.  Move the older portion of your email (greater than 24 hours old) into your “Old Inbox”.  Leave that be for a minute.

Now deal with what remains in your inbox starting with the most recent emails.

• Is it a quick answer? Answer it and file it.
• Does it require scheduled time? Schedule time to complete the task and acknowledge receipt.
• Can you delegate it? Do so.

The reason you start with the most recent emails is because they are still within “acceptable norms” of response.  No point in compounding your problem by letting current requests slide.

Now, tackle the “Old Inbox” using the steps 4 through 7. Be mindful not to fall into a common mistake of responding to an email that has already been responded to and resolved.  Doing so wastes both your time and the requestor’s time.  Chances are when you get to step 6, there is a high likelihood that the request has already been responded to, modified, or completed.  This is work you can file and get off your plate.

Minimizing the inflow

I think we need to address the reason why your inbox contains so many urgent emails that require your attention.   It is your fault!

There should be a scientific law that states the amount of email you receive is an exponential relationship to the number of emails you send multiplied by the number of people you include in the To: and CC: lines.

• Pick up the phone instead of emailing if you truly need something urgent. Ask the same in return.
• Avoid adding additional people to the CC: line of an email when it doesn’t include decisions and critical information they need.
• Simplify your email using my three-sentence rule. “Here is the problem I am trying to solve. Here is how I intend to solve it. Here is what I need from you.” It will mean you send more emails, but they will go to fewer people and be much easier to process.
• Avoid CYA (Cover your ankles….ok, not ankles, but a little higher) emails. If you are asking for someone else to complete a task, don’t include their boss.  By all means, do not include your boss.  And call out CYA emails when you see them.  Talk with the individual about changing their behaviors.
• When sending emails to inform a large distribution, put the distribution in the BCC: section and put yourself in the To: section. This will protect your colleagues who accidentally Reply All to emails in embarrassing ways.
• Don’t Reply All to an email unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Minimize those on the To: line to only those with actions or those being thanked for their contribution.
• Utilize the CC: line for those that need to be informed but do not have any actions.

Summary

An empty inbox may seem like a dream to some.  It may be a fear of others.  But if you can keep your inbox streamlined to only current relevant emails requiring your action, you will be better prepared to prioritize your day and complete the work at hand.

Delegate when possible, provide your team an opportunity to shine. If something is truly urgent, pick up the phone.

Now look back at your comment on the number of emails in your inbox.  Apply these techniques and return to this blog to reply to your comment about the progress you have made.  Talk about the processes that worked for you. Make recommendations for new processes that may benefit others. Share with a friend that could use some help.

If you liked this post, please read through the 5Rules.Blog site for other tips.  The 5Rules, in addition to this blog, are the result of lessons learned.  Take advantage of my mistakes and successes.

Thank you.

Other sources and tools

I typically use Microsoft Outlook as my email appliance. If you use a PC, I find Simplyfile from Techhit.com (not a sponsor) to be a valuable tool for sweeping threads of emails and quickly archiving email in my inbox and elsewhere.

I started my empty inbox quest after reading an article posted to Lifehacker.  Check out their Inbox Zero area for more useful tips. https://lifehacker.com/tag/inbox-zero