Taming the Inbox - my personal Email Charter

Back in 2011, a TED talk by Chris Anderson sparked a movement called the Email Charter, and at the time me and over 45,000 other people committed to a culture of mindfulness about the use of email.  The Email Charter website has since expired, but the habits haven't. Here's some of my thoughts on digital noise and tools I've used to lessen my email footprint.

How many emails do you get in a day? If you are in an organisational leadership position like I am, it's in the upper hundreds. The time it takes to read every email creates a never-ending "to-do" list. That to do list doesn't take into consideration the work responding to them makes for the person on the other end. 

Well-intentioned or not, we are accountable for the work we create every time we email someone. It is our responsibility as the sender of an email to be clear, concise and practical. None of us means to make a digital log jam, but without mindfulness, we do. The great news is that we can be strategic in our communications and do things differently. Read on for my list of musts when communicating via email for a less digitally busy inbox that can lessen your workload and increase your workflow.

·        Short isn't rude. Being concise in an email is a sign that the responder respects your time. Don't take it personally when responses aren't paragraphs long. Use bullet points or lists. See if you can keep your message to five sentences or less.

·        Know your audience. Use "To" for the person you want a response from and "CC" only when 100% necessary. 

·        Insert descriptive and meaningful subject lines. "HELP" doesn't tell anyone anything. Instead, give brief information so the reader can decide where the email sits in their priority list. Is it urgent, important, or both? Think of the quadrants in Covey's time matrix!

·        Acronyms rule. Generously use NNTR (No Need to Respond) and EOM (End of Message) in your subject line. Or where relevant SOS or URGENT for quick responses. The classic FYI (For Your Information) is a gimme.

·        Don't forget the phone. Call somebody or walk to their desk when it's faster than back and forth emails. If one phone call can take the place of 6 emails, that’s a time winner.

·        Remember email doesn't have vocal tone or body language. Always have sensitive, emotional, or personal conversations in person. 

·        Keep a clean inbox – use folders and filing rules to ensure your email boxes are organised and logical. I try to finish every day with an empty inbox.

·      Take out the trash.  Unsubscribe to junk mail as a daily habit – as somehow you land on new subscriber lists without noticing and the time-wasters accumulate overnight.

And remember, above all else, that whatever you write in an email becomes a permanent record. If you wouldn't say it, don't write it. If you would be embarrassed to have it published on the front page of the newspaper...best you don't send it.

If you have a particularly effective way of lessening the email footprint leave a note below. I’d love to hear about it.