Handling what arrives.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COMMUNICATION
Unanswered messages damage relationships and delay work.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
When you process messages, rather than continuously.
WHY
Continuous checking prevents concentrated work.
WHAT CADENCE WORKS
A few defined times daily.
WHAT TO DO WITH EACH MESSAGE
Decide: act, delegate, defer or delete.
WHY DECIDE IMMEDIATELY
Reading without deciding means reading again.
WHAT TO ACT ON IMMEDIATELY
Anything taking under a couple of minutes.
WHAT TO DEFER
Anything requiring thought, with a note of when.
WHAT TO DELETE
Anything requiring nothing.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT MESSAGES YOU CANNOT ANSWER YET
Acknowledge, with when you will.
WHY
It removes the sender's uncertainty.
WHAT TO SET UP
Filtering for notifications and automated messages.
WHY
They dominate volume and require nothing.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT COPIED MESSAGES
Treat them as information, not action.
WHAT TO TELL COLLEAGUES
How to reach you for something urgent.
WHY
It permits you to process email in batches.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT A BACKLOG
Declare it, and start from the most recent.
WHY RECENT FIRST
Old items are frequently resolved.
WHAT TO AVOID
Using the inbox as a task list.
