Word of the Day: Inbox Zero

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms |August 24, 2017

Inbox Zero Inbox Zero is a rigorous approach to email management aimed at keeping the inbox empty -- or almost empty -- at all times. Inbox Zero was developed by productivity expert Merlin Mann. According to Mann, the zero is not a reference to the number of messages in an inbox; it is "the amount of time an employee's brain is in his inbox." Mann's point is that time and attention are finite and when an inbox is confused with a "to do" list, productivity suffers. Mann identifies five possible actions to take for each message: delete, delegate, respond, defer and do. Here are some of Mann's tips for effective email management: Don't leave the email client open. Process email periodically throughout the day, perhaps at the top of each hour. First delete or archive as many new messages as possible. Then forward what can be best answered by someone else. Immediately respond to any new messages that can be answered in two minutes or less. Move new messages that require more than two minutes to answer -- and messages that can be answered later -- to a separate "requires response" folder. Set aside time each day to respond to email in the "requires response" folder or chip away at mail in this folder throughout the day. Quote of the Day "IT professionals seem to have changed their tune, especially as more and more emails flood inboxes and end users try to achieve the holy grail of Inbox Zero." - Diana Hwang   Trending Terms email management email bankruptcy time management email response management service disappearing email   Learning Center The Top 5 Disadvantages of Not Implementing an Exception Inbox Zero Policy How and why should you apply an inbox zero policy when it comes to your exceptions. Microsoft's email Clutter tool helps to attain Inbox Zero IT pros look at Office 365's email Clutter with a less skeptical eye, noting its ability to personalize end users' inboxes with only relevant messages based on user behavior. Fix outdated working practices to solve productivity puzzle The Economist says the French could take Friday off and still produce more than Britons in a week. Can smarter use of technology fix this? New technology competes to become email replacement Collaboration services such as Slack seek to displace email where others have tried and failed. Is a viable email replacement on the horizon? Email attacks that threaten networks and flood inboxes Several types of email attacks plague user inboxes and the enterprise network. It's up to the email admin to thwart intruder viruses and spam. Quiz Yourself This is a way for organizations to dictate how email messaging is used in a corporate setting. It also addresses how to secure information that is exchanged via the email system. A. email governance B. email management Answer       Stay In Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com   Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!   FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2016 TechTarget. All rights reserved.