Tactics: Tidying Up Your Inbox

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*A note: I realize there’s so much to be learned about HOW to get work done. All my how to posts will be labeled with “Tactics:”

Woohoo! It’s pre-holidays week! Depending on your role, it’s the best week of the year and/or one of the most stressful weeks of the year. Its hopefully when your colleagues are winding down and so are you. Some of you are taking official breaks and some unofficial breaks aka not a whole lot of meetings and no need to use vacation days.

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This happens to be a great time to get your shit together! Kick start your resolution! And at work… there’s one place to start -> your inbox. [I really hope none of yall are the mailbox on the left. If you are, MAYBE these tips will help but maybe it won’t.]

Despite gchat, lync, Slack, email is still one of the most used channels in a workplace and it’s usually a cluster in there. Even as a Chief of Staff, my inbox was notoriously one of the worsts and super disorganized. I definitely made sure everything was “read”but I had no idea where to find emails or even if I had responded to ones. I sometimes relied on that “PER MY LAST EMAIL” reminder to take action. But thankfully, I was saved when I started working directly for one of the most organized executives I had ever seen. Literally, she was almost at inbox zero or inbox 15. I think the only time she went to inbox 15 was when I had to manage her email (sorry about that).

Starting a new job this week though I was DETERMINED to start organized and I spent the last three months actually organizing my personal email. Here’s how.

  • Set up folders/labels. THIS IS SO EASY TO DO. Just friggin do it. Just look at your most recent 50 emails and start building folders off of what you see. “1:1 email from boss” “All staff notes” “Quick Update with Comp” “Random” “Doc Access” “Recognition”. These folders will help you 1 search easier and 2 get things out of your inbox!

  • Move emails into the folders. I promise, you won’t lose the emails forever. They’ll still be there but in their place instead of right in your face. This might even decrease some anxiety you feel anytime you’re on email.

  • Automate the filing. I know you can do this is Outlook (i actually did this) and I think you can do it in Gmail. It’s easy- set up a rule “Emails with “Puppy” in Subject line go to “Adorable” folder. It’s doable and it’ll save you a lot of time. The folder will then be bolded so you know what’s unread

  • Color code your emails! This is my favorite feature. I set a rule to color code emails from “VIPs” aka My Boss, My Boss’s Boss, Expense Team (or whoever is chasing me). The color immediately draws your attention to the email like a red alert! You’ll never miss those important emails again and well if they’re still in your inbox unread- you might have some explaining to do

  • Send & Archive. By far the easiest way to just get an email out of your face. You have to add this in Gmail and I think set a rule in Outlook but this gets the email out your inbox and into an archive. If it’s labeled, it’ll go into the appropriate folder and only pop up when a response to the thread comes up. It’s worth it.

Now if you’ve been at a company for like 5+ years, its probably too hard and a gigantic waste of time to go and categorize all your email. Hell, 3 months and its hard. I suggest setting up a folder system going FORWARD (pun semi intended). This will make you way more efficient and organized in the New Year. You’re going to thank me first and yourself later when you realize how much better you feel managing email.

Share your tips and tricks in the comments!