Merlin Mann is one of my favorite productivity gurus. I have been reading his blog for a couple of years now.

Recently, Merlin gave a lecture at Google. It was entitled “Inbox Zero.” In this lecture, he provides a conceptual framework and practical tips for managing your e-mail workload. He also answers questions from the audience.

Even though I have written a great deal on this topic myself, I still found his insights very helpful.

One of the most helpful things he says is that we need to stop e-mail from taking over our lives. In our teams and workgroups, we must define what constitutes “responsiveness.”

As I have written about previously, I think checking e-mail twice a day is sufficient. If someone needs an answer faster than that, they can call me. It is amazing how much you can get done if you turn your e-mail off and actually work through your to-do list.

Technorati Tags: email, gtd, productivity, merlin mann, workflow

Related posts:

• A Better To-Do List
• Overcoming E-mail Overload, Part 1
• A Better Voice Mail Greeting
• E-mail: Escape from Being Fully Present?
• Overcoming E-mail Overload, Part 2