Devoted to hardware, software, IT issues, and information technology management

I ran across an article on USA Today earlier this month about some organizations calling for "e-mail free" days and some individuals actually claiming "e-mail bankruptcy" by wiping out everything in their Inbox and getting a fresh start.

I can identify with the urge to select all and permanently delete, but was struck by the primary intent, which was to encourage colleagues to meet face-to-face or at least talk over the phone; rather than communicating through e-mail exchanges.  E-mail overload does appear to a problem though:

"Each day, about 39.7 billion person-to-person e-mails, 17.1 billion automated alerts, and 40.5 billion pieces of spam (unsolicited commercial e-mail) are sent worldwide, researcher IDC says. White-collar workers often receive 140 messages a day, executive coach Marsha Egan says."

Marsha Egan also offered the following tips to better manage your Inbox:

•Don't use e-mail to avoid unpleasant tasks.  "I couldn't believe people who had never talked to each other but worked in the same office," says Scott Dockter, CEO of PBD.  Dockter started e-mail-free Fridays about a year-and-a-half ago.  Since then, the number of messages his 400 employees send has dropped by about 75%.

•Don't constantly check for new messages.  It can take four minutes to refocus on work after checking an e-mail, Egan says.  Jay Ellison, chief operating officer of U.S. Cellular, estimates that his 7,000 employees spend about 1½ hours a day on their in-boxes.  E-mail-free Fridays give them more time to solve customers' problems, he says.

•Respond to important messages first — even if they're difficult.  Less-pressing issues can wait until a free moment, Egan says.

Would you or your organization be willing to support "E-Mail Free Friday"?  I usually try to assist my users with keeping their Inboxes manageable only keeping what they need.  Unfortunately some businesses may require e-mail retention to meet regulatory requirements, so claiming e-mail bankruptcy may not be an option.