Strategies to Tame the Email Beast: How to Receive Fewer Emails

So you’re doing Zero Inbox and it’s working great, but it’s still annoying you just how much time you’re having to spend on deleting/archiving emails, or reading through emails that aren’t actually relevant to you. Let’s think about some ways to reduce the number of emails you need to handle and free up more time for the things that really matter.

Unsubscribe, Unsubscribe, Unsubscribe

Let’s start with the obvious but often overlooked tactic: unsubscribing from newsletters as well as automated ‘notifications’ from any work apps that you just habitually delete. I know, I know, that weekly newsletter from your favourite online store might be tempting, but do you really need it cluttering up your inbox? Probably not. Be ruthless and unsubscribe from any newsletters, promotional emails, or work notifications that you don’t absolutely need for your work.

Setting Email Boundaries with Colleagues

Now, onto the trickier territory of managing email threads with colleagues. It’s all too easy to get caught up in endless email chains where everyone feels the need to chime in with their two pennies’ worth on every little detail. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to be copied on every email or involved in every discussion. Politely but firmly let your colleagues know if there’s a topic, project or just an individual email thread that you don’t need to be involved in. There’s always the Ignore Conversation button in Outlook that automatically deletes any new emails in a thread—it’s an underused feature but well worth getting used to.

Just Send Fewer Emails

Guess what, if you want to receive fewer emails, you also need to send less of them! Erm, but surely you need to send all these emails to get your work done, to keep people informed, send them things you know they are waiting on, ask them questions, etc? Sure, especially in many professional jobs, you can’t entirely avoid having to send emails. Just consider, before you send each one, whether there isn’t another way you could have the same impact. Do you have to send it right now, or could you do it after you’ve had responses to the ones you sent earlier? Could you combine various emails into one, without losing impact? It’s worth at least thinking about.

Pick Up the Phone

Sometimes, the best way to handle a situation is to pick up the phone and have a good old-fashioned conversation. If you find yourself going back and forth with someone via email and not making any progress, it might be time to ditch the keyboard and give them a call. The same applies if you’re writing an email and it’s becoming long and complicated, or if it’s an email that contains criticism or concern—think about whether the message comes across correctly. Speaking more often to colleagues will not only save you (and them!) time and frustration, but it can also help foster better communication and understanding between you and your team.

Opting for Video Calls

Obviously, in the age of hybrid work, video calls have become a staple of communication. Instead of sending lengthy emails back and forth, consider scheduling a quick Zoom or Teams call with the relevant people to hash out the details ‘in person’. This is also better than the phone if there’s more than one person involved. Not only is this more efficient, but it also allows for more nuanced communication, including facial expressions and body language, which are obviously lost in written communication.

Use Chat

Teams, Slack, or other team chat platforms can also really help reduce email overload. Reserve emails for more formal communication or detailed documentation, and use chat platforms for quick questions, updates, or casual conversations with colleagues. It not only cuts down on the volume of emails but also encourages real-time collaboration among team members. It’s also then much easier to move from chat to a voice or video call if needed.

Should It Be Somewhere Else?

Think about whether the information you’re sharing over email should actually be in some other kind of information management system, such as a wiki, notebook, task list, shared document, project management system, etc. It will be more efficient to keep it somewhere relevant and centralised, rather than floating around various people’s inboxes. Discuss with your team to see if your workflows could be improved to not only make it faster but also cut down on emails—two birds with one stone!