Too Much Email

Too Much EmailHow to Regain Control of Your Inbox

Benjamin Mosior(@BenjaminMosior on Twitter)

Why you should care

Email exists to communicate information necessary for understanding and

decision-making

Missing email means missing information

Missing information means reduced understanding and impaired

decision-making

Your coworkers rely on you

Be deliberate about email

“I sent you an email.”

“What email?”

Merlin Mannhttp://www.43folders.com/izero

http://www.43folders.com/izero


Disclaimer: Follow email policies.

Get a fresh start

Create the email DMZ

http://www.43folders.com/2006/01/04/email-dmz



Process email, don’t check email

Convert every email to action

Process to zero every time

Find your least-complicated process

Ok, an email came in. What now?

Get it out of your inbox

Is someone else a better fit for this?


Respond right now, even just to ask if a response is still needed.


Put it on your calendar!


Do it immediately, or use a to-do list.


Find your least-complicated process

You are now processing email

Process email on an interval

Cut down on interruption

Process down to zero every time

Never fall behind again

If you can’t delete it, archive it


If it’s important, maybe it should be documentation


Cheat by using templates

Minimize effort to reply

Cheat by using filters

Minimize time spent processing email

Process email, don’t check email

Convert every email to action

Process to zero every time

Be deliberate about email

Bonus Content #1: Organization

Folders, subfolders, and so on

Temptation of taxonomy

Slower email processing (organization fatigue)

Faux accessibility (dead documentation)

Use the search functionality

Subject “subject:ProjectX”

Body “body:ProjectX”

Sender “from:Ben”

Recipient “to:Ben”

Attachments “hasattachments:yes”

Bonus Content #2: Google Inbox

Bonus Content #3: Slack/HipChat

Some things are better outside of email

[email protected]

Questions

Merlin Mannhttp://www.43folders.com/izero



Documents