Email Inbox

How many unread emails do you have in your office email inbox?

In a recent management session, I was told that it is a good practice to keep 'unread' emails as less as possible (best is to keep it NIL). For the emails which just land in our box and is addressed to someone else, it was recommended to review such emails and delete. For emails which needs action, take necessary action and delete.

At the start of this week, I had 1000+ unread emails in my inbox. From the past 2-3 days, I have reviewed all my unread emails. Only 5-10 out of 1000 needed my attention. Others were just 'junk' for me. Every morning, I am spending my 1-hour commute time reviewing my emails. That way, by the time I reach office, I will have sorted my action items based on emails.

Comments

Unknown said…
Great! By 10AM everyday my inbox would have 0 unread emails :-). Discipline with emails is not an easy one to achieve.

I read an article yesterday that mentioned that about 60% of communication happen through emails.
PRIDERA said…
I agree with Roshan and also have the same policy ... respond / review email as top priority.
My primary mode of communication is email as well ... its written record that serves 2 purposes ... confirms the understanding and may be referenced back when required.
Arun said…
I dislike leaving unread emails. My inbox usually has zero or near zero unread mails all the time. I try not to check email very frequently (which I can afford by not having a day-job). So when I check, I take time to read all, if not most. I deal with important mails right away. If there is something that needs action for tomorrow or day-after, I flag them or move to a folder. Some emails don't require to be read (like unimportant subscriptions and obvious notices). I simply mark them read and be done with it.

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