When Your Email Queue Overfloweth - Part 2 - Workflow Strategies

Maybe it's time we try something new

With today's volumes of emails, the strategies from last week’s blog posting are necessary but not sufficient tactics (“When Your Email Queue Overfloweth” (May 23, 2021 post)). Augmenting your email queue with other resources and tools is another complementary approach.

• 1. Find ways to use other workflow tools, like separate action tracking solutions versus relying solely on emails, to reduce volumes and better track actions.


• 2. Delegate more effectively and have certain emails directed to various subordinates / team members – perhaps your executive assistant, Chief of Staff, or other subject matter experts and POCs.


• 3. Use an email alias for actions so that a team of POCs receive the email. For this to be effective, accountability needs to be established so that the team knows their roles, responsibilities, and deliverables.


• 4. Use separate email accounts for different purposes. For example, use one account for purchases and where you expect to receive a large volume of spam. Use a separate account for family and close friends. Use a third account for business, and so on.


• 5. Discipline yourself to only check email once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Else, you become interrupt-driven, and emails disrupt your focus on higher echelon responsibilities like strategic planning, customer engagement, development of your team, connecting with others, personal-professional balance, etc.


• 6. When volumes are high, periodically clean out your inbox. A reasonable approach is to create a folder with the specified date range and move all emails from last month and earlier into this folder. Now focus your energy on this month’s actions and move forward. Typically, you will never look back but if you ever need an older email you know to check that folder.

You also need to learn to just let go of the volumes that do not cross your priority threshold. Do not work overtime to read unnecessary volumes – you really cannot catch up in some jobs/positions – and you rob yourself of time with family and your other priorities like exercise, hobbies, healthy eating, sleep, etc. Deep breaths help to remind yourself about honoring your priorities so free your mind and the rest will follow.

I hope these are helpful and I look forward to learning more tried and true solutions!

“Go easy on yourself. Whatever you do today, let it be enough.”
- Unknown