Inbox Zero

One of my employees who was filling the role of project manager at a recent WMS go-live sent me a thank you note about Inbox Zero. He told me that he had read on my blog (wow - my employees read my blog? I better be careful!) posts about using Inbox Zero on go-lives (a time of very high e-mail volume).

Not sure why after using Inbox Zero for so long that now I've found reasons to tweak it. In my last post I talked about adding a Deferred folder so that I could park stuff that did not need action right now, but might need action later and I'll want to review it one more time.

I've also created another folder, borrowing from GTD, called Waiting For. This is where I'm parking e-mails that don't need any action from me, but they need action from someone else and I'm waiting for that action.

I've been using the Waiting For folder now for about 2 weeks and it has really helped.

I’m a big believer in using systems as they were designed (software, SOPs, etc.) for some time before you change them. I started to use Inbox Zero 2 years ago in Sep 2009 and I stayed true to form to Merlin Mann’s formula.

Basically when I receive an e-mail I read it and then I a) delete it, b) reply to it then delete or archive it, c) move it to Archive, or d) move it to Acton Needed. This system worked great however there was one issue. My Action Needed folder kept getting filled up with things that did need Action, but not right away.

I finally added one more folder called Deferred. This is my folder where I now park things that might need action, but they don't need action right now. This way I can focus on my Acton Needed when I'm in working mode and know there is no noise in this folder.

When I do my Weekly Review, I just look over the Deferred folder for anything that can be deleted, archived, or moved to Action Needed.

PS: I’ve also noticed that Merlin Mann is writing a book on Inbox Zero. I’ll have to keep an eye on his progress.