Managing your Inbox

There was a time when your inbox referred only to “a boxlike tray, basket, or the like, as on a desk, for holding incoming mail, messages, or work.” How efficiently you made your way through this inbox without cluttering up your desk would influence how others viewed your work. An ever increasing tower of unanswered messages and forms in your inbox or scattered across your desk would lead others to question your organization skills and reliability. Today, your inbox is more likely to be found in an Outlook account on a company desktop or laptop computer and yet the habits for managing incoming work continues to impact how others view performance and skills.
In a recent Business Insider article, Shana Lebowitz and Allana Akhtar report that “[m]anaging your inbox is an underrated workplace virtue, argues Richard Moran, CEO of consultancy Frost & Sullivan. When employees don’t respond, coworkers perceive them as unorganized and lazy.” This is of course dependant on the job and how intensively it relies on email corespondence. Indeed, Lebowitz and Akhtar go on to acknowlege that “it’s impossible to look at anyone’s inbox and say for sure that he or she is a productivity ninja or a psychopath. Your email management strategy depends heavily on your profession, for example, and the standard flow of email in your office.” Generally, it remains a good idea to handle incoming messages and work in an orderly and prompt manner, be it with the physical mail you receive or in your work inbox.
Photo: retrieved from Pixabay, available under the public domain.
This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston
Recent Posts

Remaining Available on the Employer’s Schedule
Author: Contemporaries Team ...

Performing a Dress Rehearsal May Help You Land The Job!
Author: Contemporaries Team ...

Keeping Professional References Up to Date
Author: Contemporaries Team ...

Maintaining a Strong Work Ethic
Author: Contemporaries Team ...

Creating a Winning Resume
Author: Contemporaries Team Creating a Winning Resume The Contemporaries Team recently provided job seekers with 10 Tips for Career Success in 2025. Today, we will be focusing on Tip #1 - Creating and updating a quality resume. Having reviewed thousands of resumes...

Tips for Career Success in 2025
Author: Contemporaries Team Tips for Career Success in 2025 As our Boston-based staffing firm Contemporaries Inc. approaches its 27-year anniversary next month, we have seen numerous employment trends, cycles, and behaviors come and go. However, there are universal...

Artificial Intelligence May Not Be the Best Bet When It Comes to Hiring Staff
Author: Contemporaries Team Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software programs may have its advantages when it comes to weeding out unqualified candidates, but at Contemporaries, Inc. we still believe in the human touch. While companies and some staffing firms are...

In Challenging Economic Times Having a Temp Job May be the Key to a Permanent Post
Author: Contemporaries Team When the economy is booming, unemployment is usually down. Qualified candidates can write their own ticket for a plum position in the field or company of their choice. However, when the economy takes a downward turn, securing a temporary...

A Little Bit of Kindness Goes a Long Way in The Workplace
Author: Contemporaries Team Whether you are the first or last one through the door, exhibiting kindness can go a long way in terms of garnering respect, admiration, camaraderie, and reciprocity from your peers and supervisors. Individuals who are looking to get ahead...

Communication Can Be the Key to A Successful Career
Author: Contemporaries Team Have you ever noticed how well successful people are able to convey their visions, missions, and ideas? Most times, they do it flawlessly, whether it is in an intimate business meeting or a televised discussion in front of a crowd of...

Professional Accountability: A Personal Choice and Consequences
Author: Contemporaries Team Numerous of articles have been written lately stating how a large majority of young candidates do not show up for job interviews, or even make it to the first day of work. This is not a trend which has been seen in past years, particularly...

No I in Team is True in Workplace
Author: Contemporaries Team As the late great Contemporaries, Inc. co-worker Cullen Buckland used to say, "There is no I in Team." The beauty of Cullen was that he practiced what he preached, always offering to help and pitching in whenever someone else in the office...

Starting the New Year on a Positive Note Can Make A Big Difference
Author: Contemporaries Team Annually, individuals hoping to improve their lives, often set themselves up for failure by jotting down a laundry list of new expectations through their New Year’s Resolutions. Even if they achieve some of their objectives, by not tackling...

The Joys of Having a Pet
Author: Alyssa Rebolledo When COVID-19 hit in 2020, people all around the United States felt scared, confused, and isolated. Individuals had to stay indoors all the time, missing out on many experiences such as making new friends, celebrating milestones, and other...