Archive (doesn’t warrant reaction or decision)
- it’s not worth my time to reply to this
- Happens 10% of the time, for me
Reply (take a decision)
- I need to clear the passage and take a decision
- The decision, if reversible or with low “capital at risk” will be taken almost instantaneously
- Else I will reply to buy time or seek more data
- Happens 30% of the time, for me
Forward (delegate)
- Send it to someone and empower them to take the decision
- Lay out the rules of the game. And what your expectation is.
- Don’t share the solution. Then you might as well do it yourself.
- Once taken, their decision is final. No review.
- Happens 30% of the time, for me
Compose (create a new task or seek help)
- Take the lead and create a new task or identify a new problem to solve
- Create the framework to approach it
- Assign an owner to the problem
- Set a time to discuss the possible solutions
- Track the progress and bring it to closure
And here is what most people do wrong
- Archive when they should be replying instead
- Reply when they should be forwarding instead
- Forwarding when they should be composing instead