Strategies for Email Management as a Delivery Manager

Inbox Zero: 6 Strategies That Actually Work Email, am I right? If you are like me, you probably have hundreds if not thousands of emails across multiple inboxes. You respond, you delete, and yet it seems like a Sisyphean task as the next day, your inbox is full again. My New Year's resolution was to reduce my work inbox to fewer than 500 emails and my personal inbox to below 100. I haven't accomplished that yet. So, I decided to ask AI for solutions and discovered practical strategies that significantly helped me reduce the number of emails in my inbox. 1. The 2-Minute Rule If responding takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. Don't let quick tasks pile up. 2. Schedule Email Time Blocks I check email just 3 times daily: Morning, midday and end of day. This prevents constant interruptions and reclaims 90+ minutes of focused work daily. 3. Use the "Touch-It-Once" Principle When you open an email, decide its fate immediately: • Respond • Delete • Archive • Delegate • Schedule for later action Tools that help me implement this: • Todoist: I forward emails requiring action to my task manager with one click • ClickUp: For emails that become projects, I create tasks directly from my inbox • Microsoft Teams: I've moved quick questions and daily communications from email to Teams chats No more marking as unread or revisiting the same messages repeatedly. 4. Create Smart Filters & Templates Set up filters for automatic sorting and use templates for repetitive responses. I reduced my email processing time by 40% this way. Some tools that transformed my workflow: • Gmail Filters: I automatically label emails by project and route newsletters to a "Read Later" folder • Microsoft Outlook Rules: Set up rules to move emails to dedicated folders • Copy'Em (MacOS): Saved templates for common responses (meeting scheduling, information requests) • Boomerang: Schedule emails to return to my inbox if no response within 3 days • Created a new inbox for general inquires and my admin helps monitor it. 5. Embrace the Weekly Reset Every Friday, I spend 20 minutes clearing out my inbox. This ritual prevents weekend anxiety and gives Monday a fresh start. I also use in-flight time to respond to messages; no Wi-Fi needed; they will go out when I get back online. 6. Ruthlessly Unsubscribe I dedicate 10 minutes monthly to unsubscribing from newsletters and promotional emails I no longer read. For each new subscription that comes in, I ask: "Does this provide real value?" If not, I unsubscribe immediately. Tools like Unroll.me have helped me identify and mass-unsubscribe from dozens of mailing lists I didn't even remember joining! What email management strategies work for you? Share in the comments! #ProductivityHacks #EmailManagement #WorkSmarter #ProfessionalDevelopment

Your inbox reveals more than you think. It shows how you lead. Every email habit sends a message. Every response shapes your culture. The key is understanding what your patterns tell your team: 1️⃣ Set Clear Boundaries ↳ Late-night emails create unhealthy expectations. ↳ Consistent patterns show respect for work-life balance. 💡 Apply: - Schedule non-urgent sends for business hours. - Define response time expectations clearly. 2️⃣ Value People's Time ↳ Long emails waste everyone's mental energy. ↳ Clear messages show focused leadership. 💡 Apply: - Keep messages under five sentences. - Put action items at the top. 3️⃣ Model Intentional Response ↳ Instant replies train interruption culture. ↳ Thoughtful timing encourages focused work. 💡 Apply: - Set specific times for email management. - Use auto-responders for focus periods. 4️⃣ Choose Recipients Carefully ↳ Unnecessary CCs create noise and anxiety. ↳ Selective inclusion shows respect and purpose. 💡 Apply: - Include only those who need to act. - State why each person is included. 5️⃣ Pick the Right Channel ↳ Email isn't right for every message. ↳ Smart leaders match medium to message. 💡 Apply: - Save email for non-urgent matters. - Use direct contact for important issues. 6️⃣ Close Communication Loops ↳ Open threads create uncertainty and waste. ↳ Clear closure builds trust and efficiency. 💡 Apply: - End every thread with next steps. - Confirm when actions are complete. 7️⃣ Show Up for Tough Talks ↳ Important messages need personal delivery. ↳ Real conversations build stronger relationships. 💡 Apply: - Schedule face-to-face for significant issues. - Use email to document, not discuss. Great CEOs use email as a tool, not a crutch. They know every message sets an example. "Your inbox isn't just a to-do list. It's a leadership tool that shapes your culture." —Joel Trammell __ What email habit have you changed that made a difference? Share below 👇 ♻️ Please repost to help all leaders with email

Most people dread opening their inbox. No wonder—the average professional spends over 3 hours daily on email, with half that time completely wasted. But email overload isn't inevitable. It's a mathematical equation we can solve. I call it the TNT formula. To reduce the total time spent on email (T), we need to address both variables: the number of messages we receive (N) and the time we spend per message (t). Here's what works: - Open up office hours instead of endless email chains - Delay delivery to slow down the email ping-pong - Tag emails by urgency ("Today" or "This Week") - Process emails in batches during scheduled times By treating email management as a formula rather than an endless task, we can dramatically reduce time spent in our inboxes. Make your inbox work for you, not the other way around.

Emails are killing CSM productivity on a daily basis. They have become a menace & an interruption at work! Here's the Math, as a CSM: - If you manage your emails well/ have a large enterprise BoB - you get ~30 emails daily - Now if on an average you spend 5 mins/ email - This is 150 mins (2.5 hrs.) spent just on emails - Which is more than 30% of your working hrs. - Now after each email a person needs an avg. 64 secs to focus back - So adding that to the time spent (another ~30 mins) - With just ~30 emails a CSM is spending at least 3 hrs. of the work day Imagine the CSMs managing SMB customers(scale set-up), younger products, early lifecycle customers. They will end up doing this dance for almost the entire work day. When do they actually get the time to work? CS emails need to reduce; they are a: 1. Time sinkhole: you start the day with a plan, end it with most of the time spent on emails! Email is a habit forming product that provides variable rewards by building uncertainty. 2. Distraction: every “ping” or "notification" is like a dog whistle for your focus. There go your precious minutes getting the focus back. 3. Meeting killer: you get an "important" email right before a customer meeting & even though you are in front of one customer, your mind is with another. 4. False sense of accomplishment: email is just an engagement mechanism, it is not work. Most of us end up using them as a distraction, to give us a false sense of accomplishment. Some of my suggestions & learnings: 1. To receive fewer emails, send fewer emails: somethings are just a meeting/ a call/ well don't need any communication. 2. Batch processing: set specific time slots to work on emails. Yes, this means no more checking every 5 minutes like a junkie. 3. Unsubscribe: cut the noise. If it’s not critical, hit unsubscribe, eliminate unwanted emails. Product updates should be a board. 4. Templates: stop typing the same responses over & over. Use templates & tailor with specific details. Keep it crisp, no one wants an essay. 5. Email tools: get tech help. Tools like Boomerang or SaneBox are great for managing the chaos. 6. Filter & tag: use filters & labels to organize & prioritize. Your inbox should be working for you, not the other way around. Technology is an enabler only till we are in control & it works for us - otherwise, it is a distraction or worse an addiction. P.S. Those constant Slack pings or group chats are not doing us any favor either. Block 1:1 https://lnkd.in/gjQxGq7f for coaching or structuring CS playbooks/ team/ tech. in your org. #Email #Communication #Distraction #DeepWork #Focus #CS #CustomerSuccess #CustomerSuccessManager #CSM #CSLeaders #Founders #CXOs #B2B #SaaS