Inbox Zero Policy & Procedure

This policy applies to all Bramlett & Treaty Oak employees/VAs. We encourage our agents to also adhere to this policy and a modified email batching method.

We should all attempt to reach "inbox zero" at the beginning and end of each workday. This is the point where you have no more actionable emails that are waiting to be read or responded to in your email. This doesn't mean that you've finished all actionable tasks in these emails, only that you've recorded the actions & responded to the sender so that they know that you've read their message. Here is a quick read on IBZ: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/inbox-zero

Our IBZ policy is as follows:

Address every email that is sent to you at least 30 minutes before the end of the day. (If you leave at 5pm, this means that you respond to every email sent <4:30.) In order to address each email, you will do one of the following:

Immediately solve the sender's problem and notify them of the solution. If the solution takes <5 minutes, you should take this step. (Ex. They ask you for an owner report and you immediately send it to them.)
You are not the correct person to address their problem, so you notify them of this and you include the correct person in the email asking that person to address the problem. (Ex. you respond to them and CC the correct person. "Alex is cc'ed here and will help you with this.")
You acknowledge receipt of the email and notify the sender of when they can expect you to address their problem. It's great to give yourself extra time. If you think you'll get it done by noon the next day, tell them you'll have it done by 5pm the next day. (Ex. They ask you to check on the condition of their property's yard. You tell them that you'll follow up with the tenant in the morning and let them know when you get a response later that day.) When you do this, you also need to:
1. Add the task to your task list with a note to yourself when it should be completed.* (See Asana Chrome Extension hack to do this super efficiently.)
2. If your self imposed time frame is not met, you need to email the sender to let them know it wasn't met, why it wasn't met, and propose a new time frame.