ChangeForge: ChangeForge | Ken Stewart | Where business and technology collide » The 10%
Tsudohnimh
· 1 year ago
I'm a firm antiEmail archiver and organizer. I obviously keep emails of ongoing projects with clients and some that I just tend to keep but otherwise I ditch it. I clean out my Sent items every 90 days and my Inbox stays empty 60% of the time. I organize email using the 3 folder approach.
1. If I can deal with an email in 1 minute or less I do it immediately and dispense with it. If I can't deal with it in under a minute and it requires action on my part I file it into an ACTION folder.
2. If the email requires a response from someone else or additional info that I'm waiting on it goes to the HOLD folder
3. If I need to keep it, it resides in ARCHIVE
I have 2 suggestions about email archiving that I tell anyone who will listen.
Email is a communication technology not a database. You wouldn't keep your voice mails on your answering machine would you?
Secondly, It might be better not to have it. Unless you are under mandate or compliance law that requires you to keep it then you might appreciate the ability to say we just don't archive email. Sorry
An avid GTD fan I see! I love it. I need to take a clue from this, but the scientific side of me has trouble slicing my life so neatly; perhaps that is the missing link!
I love what you say about e-mail being a communication tool, not a database! My only contention would be that it works so wonderfully for CYA situations.
But to this point, I actually am in the process of working on a document retention policy and guess what? I actually came to this very same conclusion myself. "We don't archive e-mails. If an individual does, so be it, but this is not a supported corporate policy, nor do we endorse this activity."
I don't know where that would put us, but working in a privately held company does have some advantages with regards to compliance.
Tsudohnimh
· 1 year ago
I and a GTD fan but I limit the koolaid intake.
I completely agree about emails being a great fall back document in a sticky situation but I've yet to have (RGE - resume generating Event) caused or saved by and email so I don't worry it. Perhaps that will change someday.
And in full disclosure I do keep somethings but I'd estimate that I keep about 3% of all email sent and received.
All Comments
1. If I can deal with an email in 1 minute or less I do it immediately and dispense with it. If I can't deal with it in under a minute and it requires action on my part I file it into an ACTION folder.
2. If the email requires a response from someone else or additional info that I'm waiting on it goes to the HOLD folder
3. If I need to keep it, it resides in ARCHIVE
I have 2 suggestions about email archiving that I tell anyone who will listen.
Email is a communication technology not a database. You wouldn't keep your voice mails on your answering machine would you?
Secondly, It might be better not to have it. Unless you are under mandate or compliance law that requires you to keep it then you might appreciate the ability to say we just don't archive email. Sorry
My 2 cents
Tsudohnimh
KnowtheNetwork.com
I love what you say about e-mail being a communication tool, not a database! My only contention would be that it works so wonderfully for CYA situations.
But to this point, I actually am in the process of working on a document retention policy and guess what? I actually came to this very same conclusion myself. "We don't archive e-mails. If an individual does, so be it, but this is not a supported corporate policy, nor do we endorse this activity."
I don't know where that would put us, but working in a privately held company does have some advantages with regards to compliance.
I completely agree about emails being a great fall back document in a sticky situation but I've yet to have (RGE - resume generating Event) caused or saved by and email so I don't worry it. Perhaps that will change someday.
And in full disclosure I do keep somethings but I'd estimate that I keep about 3% of all email sent and received.