The Purpose of an In-Tray, by Michelle Porter

Dear Staff,

The purpose of an “in-tray” is to put things you receive BEFORE you have time to look at it and deal with it. Looking at it and dealing with it are supposed to be the same action.

If you let it be the place to collect stuff you are procrastinating for, or waiting for further information or contact from someone, then you are not using your in-tray properly, efficiently, or wisely.

To expedite clutter and “to do” items, you need to handle papers once. That means, if there is an action-item involved, spend time working on it until completion. If you are waiting for a reason other than procrastination, or you just don’t have time to deal with it at the moment, you need to set yourself a deadline for that particular task, and make separate files for this purpose.

You can have a weekly file dated Monday to Friday where you have scheduled time to do a certain task, and therefore it goes in that file.

Another idea is to have a file for each project, and as something comes in for that particular project, you can just pop it in the folder until you have time to work on the project. I have found this system works well for me, personally.

You can simply have a second tray for things to be filed.

And a third tray for things “to do.”

But keep the inbox, or in-tray specifically empty as your “desktop mailbox.”

Speaking of mailboxes, please do not use your mailbox as your in-tray. Fully empty it as often as you can, preferably daily, but at least twice weekly.

I know I am just learning here too, so let’s all learn to work more efficiently and effectively, and take this Mission to the next level!

Thanks to all of you!
Michelle


PS. If someone is away, the person filling in for them needs to make it part of their job to check their messages and staff box. They can then transfer the items that can wait for the staff member on vacation, to that person’s office in-tray.