The inbox problem is collective. Every email you send becomes someone else's inbox problem. Every unnecessary Reply All, every vague FYI, every email that should have been a message — each one adds to the collective burden of workplace communication.
You cannot control what arrives in your inbox. You can control what you send.
Before you send
Ask three questions:
- Does this need to be an email? A quick question might be better as a chat message. An announcement might be better as a shared document. A decision might be better as a brief conversation.
- Does this need to go to everyone on the thread? If your response is only relevant to the sender, use Reply, not Reply All.
- Is the action required clear? If the recipient cannot tell what you need from them, they will either ask (creating another email) or guess (creating a different problem).
The CC audit
Before adding someone to CC, ask: "What do I want them to do with this?" If the answer is "nothing," consider whether they need to be included. Every CC is a small tax on the recipient's attention. Apply it deliberately.
The thread hygiene
When a thread changes topic, change the subject line. When a thread has grown to fourteen replies and is no longer useful, start a new one. When a thread has resolved its original question, let it end rather than adding a final "great, thanks!" that notifies everyone one more time.
The response that creates more email
Some responses generate more email than they resolve. A vague response creates a clarifying question. A partial answer creates a follow-up. A response that raises a new issue creates a new thread. Before sending, ask whether your response will close the loop or open a new one.
The principle: The best email is the one that does not need a reply. Write emails that are complete enough that the recipient can act on them without asking for more information.