Challenges in Managing Email Requests

Who else out there manages an executive’s inbox like it’s a full-time job within a full-time job? Because it kinda is. Inbox management is a strategic partnership tool. It’s how we protect time, eliminate distractions, and make sure nothing important slips through the cracks. And if you're struggling to get a handle on it? That’s your cue to stop winging it and start working with your executive, not around them. Here’s how to get it tight: ⭐ Start with these 5 questions to ask your executive before you touch a single folder: 1. “What’s your current process for reviewing and managing email?” Understand their habits before you introduce structure. 2. “What’s stressing you out the most about your inbox?” Volume? Prioritization? Things getting missed? 3. “How often would you like me to check your inbox?” Set clear expectations. Don’t guess. 4. “Are there specific types of emails you want to handle personally?” Boundaries matter and we should respect the sensitive stuff. 5. “Do you have any preferences for filing, labeling, or archiving?” Don’t assume your version of ‘organized’ matches theirs. ⭐ Then apply these inbox management principles like the calendar boss you are: PRINCIPLE 1: Decrease the Noise: Stop letting junk run the show. Unsubscribe from newsletters and promos that don’t serve. Set up filters and rules to auto-sort (think: newsletters, updates, reports). Archive or delete non-essential old emails. Create labels/folders that actually support how your exec works (Urgent, Follow-Up, FYI, Reference). PRINCIPLE 2: Define the Roles: Clarity kills confusion. Agree on which emails you own and which they want to see. Use a “For Review” folder for anything they need to respond to directly. Build and use response templates for FAQs and recurring requests. Set a weekly check-in to review inbox flow and adjust as needed. PRINCIPLE 3: Be Intentional: Inbox chaos is a choice. Intention is your tool. Use flags or stars for priority messages. Check the inbox at set times. No constant refreshing. Write clean, clear subject lines when sending/replying. Apply the “One-Touch Rule”: read, respond, delegate, or archive. 💡 And to keep you in control, consider implementing these pro tips: 💻Establish a daily routing. Email check-ins at 9am, 1pm, and 4pm, for example. 💻Use the 4D method: Delete, Delegate, Defer, or Do. 💻Create an Action folder for follow-ups so nothing lingers in the abyss. 💻Consolidate chains. Stop the ping-pong effect. 💻Schedule 30 minutes weekly for inbox maintenance. Yes, schedule it. Now it’s your turn! Drop your favorite inbox strategy below. What’s worked for you that others (including me) should try? #evolvedassistant #administrativeassistant #executivesupport #administrativeprofessionals #executiveassistant

I recently interviewed 50 execs about how they manage their inbox. Here are 3 workflows that kept coming up. Smart Labeling Systems: Most use a variation of the "4D" system - Do, Delegate, Defer, or Delete. Critical emails get tagged "Urgent/Today," while strategic discussions are labeled "Review Weekly." One CEO I know uses "Waiting For" labels to track pending responses from their team. Time-Boxing: The most disciplined executives set strict email windows - typically early morning, lunch, and end of day. Outside these times? Their inbox might as well not exist. One CTO shared that this alone doubled his productive hours. Executive Assistant: Many top executives leverage their EAs as email intelligence officers. These assistants don't just filter - they draft responses, maintain relationship histories, and ensure no critical communications slip through the cracks. Advanced Delegation: Several leaders have developed sophisticated systems where their EA handles 80% of emails independently, brings 15% to them for quick decisions, and flags only 5% as requiring their personal attention. The most successful executives view their inbox as a tool, not a task list. They're ruthless about what deserves their attention and aren't afraid to use auto-responders directing people to more efficient channels. Follow for more tips on how to stay sane!

A lot of in-house teams still manage their daily workload from their inbox. Somehow normal. We love email. But it is very suboptimal and not future-proof. Here is why. We get so many incoming emails on a daily basis. On average, for in-house tax, it is about 75 emails per day. That is 375 incoming emails per week. Imagine what happens when you are out. This is not really motivating to take some time off, right? We all get these emails: “Can you help me with the tax treatment of this dividend distribution” “Can you review this return before we file” “Here is the data for your TP simulation” “What is the cash tax paid over FY24” “A new tax audit will start in Spain” “Are we allowed to do this business transaction” Here are the problems when you manage your workload from our inbox: First of all, you will be in firefighting mode all the time. You can never beat your inbox. Secondly, you will get a LIFO bias. But “last in” does not necessarily mean “most important”. Audit trails and controls from your inbox are painful. Definitely when mails get archived. Yikes. Key person risks are huge. Super valuable info will be trapped in inboxes and archives and when the owner leaves, you are in trouble… The inbox in itself is one of the most problematic isolated data sources. No dots can get connected with other data or systems… Incoming emails are not always for you. So you lose time to manage stakeholders and assign the right task to the right person, with the right deadline. We are in 2025, right? The good news is that AI agents can solve a lot of these problems. However, here is gentle nudge to show enough ambition. You don’t want standalone, isolated agents. Ideally, they should automate your inbox management by relying on your company-specific data (like linking incoming requests to the right entity or tax registration, in the right period, the right stakeholder…). If we take it one step further, the agent can also help with the actual treatment of the mail itself. Again, by relying on company-specific data, and by blending in some tax regulatory data. Sounds exciting, isn’t it? Well the good news is that all of this is already possible. If you're keen to see how we’re doing it at Loctax with the latest technology, including AI agents and automated document analysis, join us next Wednesday, June 11, for our monthly product webinar. Register here 👉: https://lnkd.in/da6meSyh

Are data requests drowning your team day in day out? 1. Are you being bombarded from all sides with urgent data needs. 2. Do you have a never-ending to-do list, constant pressure to catch up. 3. Prioritisation becomes a guessing game, leading to anxiety. 4. Valuable data work gets buried under less impactful requests. 5. Time spent on unimportant tasks, hindering strategic impact. I'm currently working with a data team in a global organisation who is feeling all of the above. The backlog grows, stress builds, valuable insights get lost and someone gets the blame! Sound familiar? This is where I find many teams lack a proper Operating Model and within that a Demand Management Process. If you are experiencing this, then here are some strategies for you: 👉Ditch the email black hole, IT service desk volley or the Slack firehose. Do this: create a central hub for clear, concise requests. With a set of questions the requester has to complete. Make it as business motivated as possible. 👉Not all requests are created equal. Categorise requests by impact. Do this: Is it a quick win "XS" or a strategic game-changer "XL"? I normally create a scoring template that supports this which is very easy to use. Come up with whatever makes sense for your business. 👉Focus on impact, not urgency. Do this: Prioritise requests based on their potential to drive real business value, not just the squeakiest wheel. 👉Every request should tie back to a specific business goal. Do this: What problem are we solving? What's the potential return on investment (ROI)? Which requests will yield the most significant financial or strategic benefits? 👉Not everything needs to be perfect! Sometimes, "good enough" data is good enough for a decision. Do this: Explore alternatives: Can we answer the question with existing data? Can we self-serve users with dashboards or reports? Take a deep breath it's Friday and the sky isn't falling down on your head! I help data teams implement these strategies and build an operating model that gets results. Have a good weekend! #operatingmodel #business #strategy #datastrategy #keepitsimple

Your inbox is a TO-DO list made by OTHER people. 3 ways to reclaim control of it. For context: I'm a 26-year-old solopreneur. I have 2,641 'unreads' right now. I don't have a VA managing it. The majority of my emails? - Project comms - Service enquiries - Speaker/PR deals - Back & forth with clients - Invoices and meeting invites And the odd agency bro selling me '10 leads/week'. (Nobody escapes those). I have NO desire to hit inbox 0. Because if I did, it'd just go up again. It's like running up a downward escalator. Fun when I was 7. But not anymore. The only thing you get? KNACKERED. Here's a better way to manage the inbox... 1/ Set clear expectations If your inbox is full of: “Did you get my last email?” “Just bumping this up!” “Any update?” That’s not *their* fault. It’s yours. You haven’t told people how you work. So they assume you’re ignoring them. Fix it with one simple move: → Add a response signal to your email signature. Examples: “I check emails at 10am & 4pm each day” “Please allow 48 hours for a reply — async working” We live in a world of: Different time zones Remote teams Flexible hours Be clear with how you work. It helps people know when to expect a reply. Set your boundaries buddy. 2/ Schedule your replies Replying to emails at 2am might *feel* productive. But it sends the wrong signal: - You’re always online - There’s no boundary between work/life - People can also contact you at crazy hours Simple fix: Write it now. Schedule it later. 3/ Stop replying to everything You don’t need to reply to every email. British people are way too polite. I just block spam and delete irrelevant stuff. No second-guessing. I'm an adult. I have free will. May as well use it. Also... If you don't have a personal relationship with the other person and it's an 'action' email, skip small talk. "Hi Becky, I hope you're well and had a great weekend. Did you get up to anything fun?" Spoiler: Becky don't care. (She'll just say, "Hope you're well too") Here’s what Becky actually wants: - A decision - A deadline - A next step That’s it. Every extra line for someone to read and reply to is you taking time away from THEIR day. Think about that. Don't make them work harder. Also, your KPIs don't include: How many emails you send a day How fast you reply to emails How long your emails are The more time you spend on emails, the more time you lose from doing the important work. Your job isn’t to pass bricks around. It’s to build the house. REMEMBER: Email is just a tool to help you do the work. Don’t confuse it with the work itself. Okay folks, How are we tackling the email issue? What's your approach? Lemme know down in da comments...

I know this is controversial I quit inbox zero I used to be a zero inbox person. Every email answered, every notification cleared. 𝗜𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. But here’s the truth: managing an inbox isn’t the same as making an impact. Inbox zero doesn’t guarantee impact. It’s not about emptying your inbox; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. Over time, I realized my focus was going to the wrong place. Clearing emails became a substitute for prioritizing the work that truly mattered—high-impact work that drives results, supports my team, and aligns with long-term goals. Now? 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼. Here are 7 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼 and how to communicate effectively: 1 - 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 Your time is valuable. Learn to differentiate between urgent, important, and irrelevant. ↳ Action: Create rules to auto-sort low-priority emails and archive irrelevant ones. 2 - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 ≠ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 Replying instantly can derail focus. High-impact work rarely happens in your inbox. ↳ Action: Batch process emails at set times during the day to stay in control. 3 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 Vague emails waste time. ↳ Action: Clarify requests before jumping in: “What’s the specific outcome you’re looking for?” 4 - 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗢𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 Saying “yes” to every email request spreads you too thin. ↳ Action: Respond with alternatives like, "I can’t help, but I can connect you with someone who can.” 5 - 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝘆 Lack of clarity creates confusion and back-and-forth emails. ↳ Action: Proactively share updates, ask pointed questions, and set expectations. 6 - 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Emails are to-do lists written by someone else. ↳ Action: Review incoming requests and ensure they align with your goals before taking action. 7 - 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹—𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝘀 An empty inbox won’t matter if you’re not driving results where it counts. ↳ Action: Prioritize deep work over reactive responses. Focus on outcomes, not outputs. Remember: Communication isn’t about checking off emails—it’s about advancing the work that matters most. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: What’s your strategy for managing incoming requests effectively? Share your strategies in the comments ⤵ ---- ♻️ Repost and share these leadership tips ➕ Follow me, Ashley VanderWel, for more 📲 Book an anonymous coaching session

Your emails aren't important. Stop doing work others can handle. Spending hours on emails isn't leadership. It's wasted time. Yet most CEOs check their inbox first thing in the morning. After drowning in requests, updates and intros, they wonder where the day went. That stops now. Here's how to get back 10+ hours a week by delegating your inbox: 1. Minimize Email Distractions ↳ Emails feel like work but don’t move the needle. ↳ Shift from inbox management to business growth. 2. Streamline Communication ↳ Move internal comms to Slack or Notion. ↳ Keep email only for external priorities (sales, hiring, partnerships, etc.) 3. Use an EA for Email Management ↳ Your EA understands the business and responds accordingly. ↳ Use template responses for repetitive emails (e.g. investor intros). 4. Create a Knowledge Base ↳ The EA tracks meeting recordings, Twitter and emails for answered questions. ↳ Common responses are stored in a Notion Q&A database for reference. 5. Email Diligence Process ↳ The EA filters incoming emails. ↳ They loop in relevant people or reply themselves. 6. Use a Drafts Folder Instead of Inbox ↳ The EA drafts replies for review. ↳ You only see emails that need your personal touch. 7. Outcome ↳ Inbox delegation slashes your response time to 10 minutes per day. ↳ You work intentionally to emails, not reactively. Instead of reacting to your inbox, focus on growing your business. What's your biggest email time-waster? Drop it below. ________________ ♻️ If this hits home, share it with your network. 🔔 Follow Christine Carrillo for more no-fluff leadership insights. ⏰ If you’re ready to delegate more and get your time back, check out my course: https://bit.ly/41wb1iA

A bit of Friday fun, but emails and keyboard warriors affect cultures!..... More than one-third of office workers (38%) said this ‘email fatigue’ is likely to push them to quit their jobs (Forbes) The average office worker receives more than 120 emails daily. No wonder, people suffer from email fatigue! Managing emails is tough, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed, especially since the rise of hybrid working. Emails can be a productivity killer. Many emails steal time and sap energy from teams, preventing them from doing real work. We think sharing information is helpful, sometimes it is, but sometimes it just adds unnecessary tasks onto people's already busy days. On the flip side, email updates can be effective; they can minimise other productivity killers: meetings. We cannot completely get rid of email; it’s a necessary communication tool, especially with new ways of working. However, there are ways we can make it easier for people! I came across this tip from Razzetti, it is not evolutionary but effective. Add one single word to your email subject to drive clarity. He suggests categorising your message will help recipients understand what’s expected of them — and how critical (or not) is for them to reply. Here’s how the different categories could work: “URGENT” — Something requiring immediate action or attention. Important to note that in the business world, there’s a tendency to categorise everything as ‘urgent.’ If the recipient doesn’t intervene, the damage could quickly escalate. “FEEDBACK” — Items requiring input, reaction or approval to advance a project. Without this person’s feedback, the project could get stuck. “OPPORTUNITY” — Unexpected events presenting possibilities for the other person to do something. This category includes a way range of opportunities: training, new business etc. “UPDATE” — Status report or latest information about a specific project. The frequency and depth of these updates need to be agreed upon by the team members. Some people want to know everything; others like to share just vague headlines. The team needs to establish a common practice on what and how to report. “FYI” — Updates that don’t require the recipient to take any action. Important to note: emails shouldn’t be used to cover your back. So, before sending these types of emails, ask yourself: Do I need to share this information? Will it help the other party or am I just cluttering their inbox? “INSPIRATION” — Material that will provide tools, information, data or experiences to help the other person do a better job. This is content that is important but not urgent like TED talks, or a recent research study. Both learning and being inspired play a key role, but shouldn’t become a distraction from taking care of things that need to happen now. Razzetti suggests adding just one of those words (in CAPS) at the beginning of the subject. It will help recipients understand why they should care about your email. Might be worth a try?

Managing legal requests through email is the biggest productivity killer in legal ops. 8x8, a 2,500+ person enterprise, replaced theirs and instantly saved 30-60+ minutes per intake. My biggest gripe with email intake is that it might be the slowest and most frustrating form of internal communication. Simply put, it creates friction at every step of the workflow: - Constant back-and-forth just to clarify a simple request - Scattered inboxes that make it hard to locate past conversations or track related files - No visibility into ownership or status This kind of friction leads to more chaos and slower turnarounds. That’s why at the heart of everything we build, we focus on removing friction. 8x8 felt that pain firsthand. Their legal team was managing requests through a patchwork of shared email aliases without a structured ticketing system in place. Information got lost, and there was no clear view into team bandwidth. After switching to Streamline AI, every request flowed through a centralized intake system. AI parsed the emails and pre-filled key fields so sales reps got faster responses, and the legal team finally had visibility into what was coming in and who was handling it. That’s why AI Email Intake has become our most popular product. It doesn’t force business stakeholders to change how they work. It meets them where they already are. Emails still come in. The difference is that those emails actually work for you instead of against you, which can’t be said about most traditional ticketing tools.