(Published February 2, 2009)
An article that appeared on Yahoo! HotJobs advised readers to think of their e-mail inbox as a metaphor for their personality. The article went on to say that most readers probably fell into one of two camps: the Perfectionist or the Procrastinator. Two AHI co-workers square off on which Outlook® inbox management style works best for them.
...I'm Neat And Organized To A Fault. In Other Words, I'm Obsessive!
As someone who is as relentlessly anal about managing her inbox as she is about organizing her desk, I most definitely am a member of the first camp. The idea, let alone the actual act, of procrastinating when it comes to my inbox is enough to literally cause my heart to race.
Knowing that a message, whether expected or not, is just sitting there in my inbox begging for my attention, makes it difficult for me to concentrate on my work. That's why as soon as a message comes in, I read it; respond to it, if necessary; and archive or delete it.
Not only do I delete the message from my inbox, but I also empty my "sent items" (where a reply was warranted, but archiving the reply wasn't) and "deleted items" folders. Full sent and deleted items folders cause me just as much anxiety as a full inbox. For me, not emptying the sent and deleted items folders is akin to running a 26-mile marathon and stopping dead in my tracks at mile marker 25.5. Removing the message from my inbox isn't enough; I need to know it has been fully dealt with.
I think my rigorous inbox management style makes me a reliable co-worker. My colleagues know that if they e-mail me, they'll get a speedy reply. If I can complete the task being asked of me within 20 minutes or so, I'll most certainly do it. If I can't, a co-worker can expect, at the very least, an almost immediate reply letting them know when I will be able to complete the task or provide them with the answer they're seeking. No one ever accused me of causing a bottleneck!
As the Yahoo! HotJobs article pointed out, however, there are drawbacks (surprise, surprise!) to such obsessive inbox behavior.
One drawback is that you're always interrupting yourself. That I am. I've gotten better about not immediately responding if I am in the middle of something. But I admit it, nine times out of 10, I immediately check to see who the message is from. If it's not from a co-worker, I don't always open it and read it at that very moment. Chances are good, though, that within 15-20 minutes of receiving the message, I will have dealt with it.
Another is that you may miss part of what's written. Been there, done that. I've been known to skim a message and reply so quickly (so that I can get back to what I was doing in the first place!) that after re-reading the message (before deleting it from my deleted items folder), I realize that I asked a question that was already answered in the original message, or I replied to a question I thought was asked, as opposed to the one written. I've gotten better at slowing down and taking the time to properly read and respond to a message. It's taken awhile, though, and it is more a conscious effort, than a natural habit.
Melissa V. Pomerantz
Editor
...I'm Laid-Back And Folder-Resistant. But, Hey, I'm Thorough!
I refuse to be a slave to my e-mail inbox. I feel I am perfectly capable of deciding for myself when it's time to check my inbox to see if I have messages waiting, without needing a silly chime sound to dictate when I should do it (or, God forbid, that ridiculously annoying AOL guy shouting "YOU'VE GOT MAIL!" as though receiving e-mail is the most exciting thing imaginable).
I would never deliberately keep a colleague waiting, so I do try to check my inbox fairly regularly throughout the day. But I'll admit, on occasion, people will pop their head through my doorway to say, "Um, did you get my e-mail?" as I stare at them blankly for a second before sheepishly clicking on my inbox. So yes, I guess that makes me an inadvertent bottleneck. On the other hand, I think I'm emboldened by the knowledge that if someone here does need something urgently, they're more likely to come discuss it in person than to send an e-mail message at all.
When I do finally get around to checking my inbox, there are usually multiple messages waiting…but usually only one or two that look like they need to be opened promptly. The others can wait until…well, until I feel like dealing with them. But when I do deal with them, I take the time to read the message thoroughly, usually several times, and then I craft a response, edit it, and spell-check it (if I remember), before finally hitting the "send" button. Then I usually reread it right after sending it, to make sure it does not need to be recalled or supplemented for any reason.
The Yahoo! HotJobs article listed some suggestions for helping organize your inbox, but I'm not buying into them. For instance, it suggested deleting messages you were copied on but don't need to respond to. Nope! I keep all my received messages in my inbox, and all my replies in my "sent items" folder. That way, I know I have a complete record of all work-related communications, right at my fingertips, that can be sorted by date, addressee, topic, attachment, whatever. Nothing is ever misplaced or lost, since it's all lumped in one of only two folders. I do occasionally go through and delete the few e-mails I can safely consider completely superfluous, but I'll admit I do keep the majority of both sent and received messages…"just in case." (In case of what? I have no idea!)
It also suggested creating separate folders for e-mails that need to be addressed today, tomorrow, or within a week; it then pointed out the importance of following up on those e-mails and resorting them as necessary. Yeah, that sounds like more work than is necessary, to me. If an e-mail demands some sort of response that for some reason can't be done immediately, I just flag it, and once my work on it has been completed, I unflag it. Fast and simple.
I admire Melissa's organizational skills, but, after all, variety is the spice of life, so I think we'd agree that there's room enough at AHI for both our work styles.
Eileen Mager
Writer
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