The Ever-Looming Inbox

I actually just started the process of organizing my gmail account yesterday. I'm still not anywhere near the goal of Inbox Zero, but I am regaining some control over new emails. Using filters, multiple inboxes and reviewing emails during set times each day definitely helps.

I, too, am zero in box. Had to clear everything out by Sunday night after vacation even. Cannot live with red alert flags on the email icon.

This conversation is cracking me up! Think we can all agree that the reply all button must be banished to some place where the outdated programs go to die.

Funny thing about this that I do schedule calls/return calls to certain times of day to stop the interruptions. Most people who work with me know this but I still get the occasional, 'why do I always get your voice mail?' Never thought about doing this for my emails ... it would probably save me a couple of hours every day.

I, too, once had OCD inboxitis... But then I joined facebook and Twitter and started commenting on blogs. Now only have 4,238 (make that 4,240) unread messages in my social media fluff inbox. Sure, I've read most of the subject lines... But I'm sure there are at least a dozen or so messages that I'd probably regret not reading. My "solution" that I implemented a few weeks back is a new "important" email address that I only give to colleagues and people I may do business with. Since I'm not famous or high demand outside my day job, I've been able to read all 3 emails received there! Woot Woot!

inboxzero.com
43folders.com

You're right about one thing: Email is a problem.

I only go into email a few times a day to help manage my time. I have too much of a pavlovian response to keep my inbox open and not respond to every flash window and ding. (yes I know you can turn those things off!) Most people know my approach and understand that email does not mean urgent to me. We have an internal IM system where co-workers can reach me and I use other chat's for instant comms if needed...oh yeah and we have this other gadget a phone. Calling and coming into my office are still the "need it now" requests. Email is FYI, this needs review and/or attention for a response in my book, ideally in short order, but not immediate.

The epidemic of CCmania (don't get me started on the red exclamation virus) makes it hard to stay productive and on top of email and still be productive.

One of the funniest things I ever heard from Peter Shankman was "email bankruptcy" and there are days where it is tempting! If not bankruptcy at least a reorganization of email debt:)

I wish we could write a program that would magically delete the "reply all" option from the email system of every person I correspond with ... ESPECIALLY the hockey dads on Connor's team. I so wish they would keep their frat boy silliness to themselves! GEEZ!

I keep on top of email too, and Dave is worse (although he gets far more than I do). He is like you, cant stand the drip, drip of emails for every little thing. He looses stuff that way. He wants you to condense as much as possible into a few a day (1 would be ideal for him, but probably not reality).

I agree with @Glenn Ferrell 24 hr response time is a MUST!

What a great opportunity to gripe about email ! I'm with you, I clear my email probably 3 times a day. All my working life I lived by the rule that emails have to be answered in 24 hours. So why doesn't everybody else live by our rules ? Sheesh :)

G'Day Gini,

Guess what? They're only bloody letters or memos. Remember them? In those ancient hard copy days, you answered some immediately, you referred some to others, you sought others' advice for some, you put some aside for a longer and deeper look , you even chucked some straight into the bin and, and, and.........you even delegated some!

And every time something new lobbed into your in- tray you didn't drop everything else and read it.

Email is demanding. But it's worthwhile remembering that at least half the stuff we get is because we asked for it.

Two little tips: at least every 3 months cull you list of incoming emails. Unsubscribe from those that you feel you don't get value from any more----for whatever reason. If that upset Marcus and Danny, blame the curmudgeon from Down Unda.

Second, remember that email management is a time management issue. The Platinum Rule of time management, according to the CFDU is this; If you can't delegate you can't manage your time. The corollary to the Platinum Rule is: there's no such thing as a manager who can't delegate. There are only managers who wont. These days, they mostly blame emails.

Y'know, sitting with my PC telling people what they really oughta be doing is great fun!

Best Wishes

Leon

I know the feeling - I've got a bit of a system for managing my inbox, although it may not work for everyone. Weirdly enough, I posted it on my blog last night - you can find it at http://2feetfromfreedom.co.uk/2012/02/getting-to-inbox-zero-staying-there/ if you're interested (not spamming!)Basically, I assign myself "Email Times" throughout the day and unless it's vital, I don't reply or read any mails outside those times (if it is really important, chances are a colleague will yell in my direction), pop the ones I've got to reply to into Wunderlist and tick them off as I go. It might not work for everyone, but it lets me stay productive throughout the day while still getting my emails taken care of.

This is a fascinating post for me. I am not in an industry that relies heavily on email and so I can't even BEGIN to imagine having to spend 3 hours a day on just emails...I'd tear my hair out....So, at the risk of being made fun of, I have a question. In your industry, what did email replace? Did people spend 3+ hours on the phone? Did they spend 3+ hours typing letters? How did the out-of-control in-box get to this point? Do we need to redefine our definition of responsiveness? The stress factor that you and most of the commenters share seems overwhelming! Are we as customers that demanding and egocentric that we think our needs deserve to be taken care of immediately? Are we no longer patient? I apologize for the questions as opposed to a comment but I truly am perplexed. Three hours of email time seems so wasteful of your precious time. So, what DID your industry do before email? Or did email and our self serving impatience sort of evolve concomitantly? And, BTW....I truly had NO idea how much email flooded your inbox. I SO hope that I have never been a clogger. If anything was learned from this post, for me it was to be VERY cognizant of the time that I am now occupying in the reader's day when I send an email and for me to be very respectful of that.

You do know that this is the kind of post that encourages me to email you throughout the day with all sorts of useful notes:

"Dear Gini, I just wanted to see how long it would take you to respond."

"Dear Gini, can Jack Bauer come out and play?"

"Dear Gini, I can't find the salt, do you have any idea where I put it?"

"Dear Gini, am I the only one emailing you like this?

I used to be great about responding to every email I receive but now I have reached a point where there simply isn't time to get to all of them. It is part of why I have multiple email boxes. It helps me organize them based on importance.

My success has been addressing email as it comes in (quick reply, delete, and "star" for later) with the goal (daily) of Inbox Zero. So far so good. I can't think when my Inbox has a lot of email. Some folks let it pile to 1,000's. I wouldn't be able to sleep. I am also beginning to think that folders are a waste of my time because I rarely (unless it's a client email folder) go back in those folders. I've also had issues in the past where my computer died and I lost all my email. You know what? I never needed them later! So you live and you learn. But...that's just me.

I hate the reply to all feature. I rarely reply to all. If I did all Gini would do all day is delete emails.

I am SO with you on the "reply all" button. UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH!!!!

i signed up for Boomerang for Gmail a while back, and love it. While it doesn't get rid of the clutter in my inbox completely (sorting & filters help with those, though), it lets me schedule emails to be sent out at a later date/time. So if I'm up early, as I usually am, and checking email, I can rip through a ton of them that need replies, but then schedule them to go out later (clients don't need to get used to me emailing them at 5 am). It's brilliant. I'm pretty sure it works with Outlook too, so you might want to give it a try. There's a free version, but I upped it to a reasonable paid version that lets me schedule more replies.

This is tough I have pages of unread emails. 99% are trade pub news since I get about 70 per day most I don't open some I save and open later. Others languish. Thus the reason for a great Subject line!

But I make sure all business are cared for each day.

I tend to ignore emails with armentdietrich.com in the URL...