Why sending fewer emails reduces inbox clutter

As a Deputy Headteacher I used to receive close to 1000 work emails a week. Many were completely pointless, had nothing to do with me and went straight into 'deleted items'! My inbox is my to-do list. I want it as close to ZERO as possible by the end of the day. Please don't fill it with junk! Some notable examples from my time in education include: - The “Where's My Coat” Email - The “Weather Update” Email - The “Has Anyone Got A Charger” Email - The “Non-Work-Related Request” Email - The “Can Billy Come To Reception” Whole Staff Email - The “Susan Forgot Her Shoes” Whole Staff Email Who is Susan? Susan Who? What class is she in? What Year? Why was this sent to all staff?!! Please consider the following guidelines when sending work emails: - Relevant Recipients Only - Keep it Concise - Actionable Requests Only - Avoid Over-CC and Reply-All - Problems Accompanied By Solutions If you're in a school try to reduce the email culture to a minimal to allow your staff to focus on the students in front of them.

I managed to delegate 95% of my email inbox when running an 1,800 client accounting firm. Here are 11 tips to reinvent your team's approach to email: 1. Send less email You don't get responses to emails you never send. Email is for exception handling, not ongoing repetitive work. 2. Eliminate inbox propriety Email isn't your private space, it's the receiving bay of your business. Radical email transparency solves a host of email-related pains. Find an alternative home for internal sensitive messages. Btw if you want tips like this in your inbox each week, join 9,112 other accounting firm owners on the list here https://lnkd.in/gKY9X4M9 3. Delegate Email's no more immune to delegation than any other work. The fact 10% of messages require your touch isn't a reason to DIY 100% of it. 4. Batch the FYIs For everything that doesn't require your direct attention, have your team send you a once-daily FYI digest of everything you ought to know to keep you in the loop. 5. Delegate monitoring Don't leave email up just in case something spicy arrives. The fact a client may have an emergency they want you to bail them out of isn't a reason to let yourself to be perpetually distracted. Instead, make it somebody's job to check your inbox a few times per day for anything spicy. 6. Don't start the day with email That way your day gets away from you at 11am instead of 8am. 7. Eliminate inbox propriety Let's talk about this one a second time because it's so important: Imagine an employee saying "I'll keep an eye on my inbox while I'm away" despite employing 20 other people to do the same job. They'll follow your lead, so lead by example. Let other people help. 8. Don't work out of the inbox Getting to to inbox 0 is like running in quicksand. They keep coming in as fast as you can get them out. Instead, have an assistant move messages to a "today" folder once per day, and work out of that one. 9. Don't send immediate responses Nobody gets more than 1 email per 24 hours. This change alone will reduce email volume by 50%. 10. Designate a fast lane Occasionally a client will be in the thick of things and need quick access to you for a few days. Create a temporary fast lane, let the team know to ping you if anything from the client comes through. Make this level of availability the exception, not the rule. 11. Don't let people jump the line When you respond to that text or take that call, don't expect that person to ever get back in the email queue. Clients are like mice in a maze, they'll find the fastest way to get to your cheese until you stick to your comms strategy. Email sucks. It's ok to get help. It isn't an admission of defeat It's what'll let you focus on what matters, and better support your team.

Last year was about volume. This year is about depth. For years, the advice was: “Send more. Post more. Grow faster.” But AI changed the landscape. Suddenly, inboxes and feeds are flooded with more. So what stands out now? Not volume. Not noise. Depth. The shift I’ve seen in the last year is this: Lists are smaller, but engagement is higher. Segments are tighter, but conversions are stronger. Fewer emails get sent, but each one feels personal and alive. It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about being unforgettable when you are in the inbox. That’s why I coach solopreneurs to track conversations (clicks, replies, conversions) instead of obsessing over impressions (opens, vanity growth). The winners in 2025 aren’t those who send the most. They’re the ones who connect the deepest. Email shifted from “more” to “meaningful.” You don’t need to be louder. You need to be clearer and closer. Do you feel this shift - less noise, more depth?