This document provides instructions for using a personal Kanban system to manage email. It recommends visualizing emails by status (backlog, in progress, done) in folders and subfolders. It also recommends limiting work-in-progress emails to less than 10 by archiving low priority emails. Periodically review the system to identify ways to improve email lead times and priorities.

1. EMAIL
KANBAN
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2. EMAIL KANBAN
A way to use Personal Kanban to manage your email.
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There are only two real rules with Personal Kanban:
1. Visualize your work
2. Limit your work-in-progress
• http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/personal-kanban-101/
Your email can come from any source, including emails you
send yourself.
You can use any email system that has subfolders and ‘Mark
As Read’.
That’s it!

3. WHY EMAIL KANBAN?
Five reasons to use Email Kanban:
1. You need a way to visualize your current and upcoming
work.
2. You need to limit the amount of tasks you are
simultaneously working on (work in progress limit).
3. You need to archive your information effectively.
4. You can not afford any delays caused by missing an
email.
5. You want to use one system to manage both tasks and
email.
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4. HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Visualize your work (Backlog)
Identify your backlog of work (your To Do). This includes the
emails and the tasks you need to perform based on the
content of those emails but haven’t started yet.
Examples:
1.As a software tester, I have just been notified of a build that
is ready to test via an email from the build process.
2.As an agile practitioner, I want to keep abreast of agile
developments and have just emailed myself a link to a blog.
Mark (or leave) all new emails in your inbox UNREAD.
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5. VISUALIZE YOUR WORK
(BACKLOG)
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6. HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Visualize your work (In Progress)
Emails that you are actively working from are left read and in
your inbox.
If a higher priority email or task arrives, you may wish to mark
the email as unread again.
If the task is blocked, forward yourself the email with the reason
it is blocked in the body or subject.
Example:
1.The build I am waiting for is ready. I mark a low priority email
as unread, read the notes in the build email, and begin testing.
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7. VISUALIZE YOUR WORK (IN
PROGRESS)
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8. HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Visualize your work (Done)
As you complete the tasks and finish with the email, make
sure the email is marked as read and then sort it into the
appropriate subfolder.
This could be your spam, trash, or archive folders.
Example:
1.I have completed testing the new build, so I move the build
email to my archive folder.
2.I read the department email about snacks and quickly sent
it to my miscellaneous administration folder.
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9. VISUALIZE YOUR WORK
(DONE)
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10. HOW DOES IT WORK?
2. Limit work-in-progress (WIP)
Use subfolders to store lower priority emails. They can be left unread. Use
your main inbox folder for higher priority emails only.
Keep archiving low priority emails and completed tasks until “you see white
space”. Aim for less than 10 active tasks (10 read emails). Inbox-zero
techniques may help here.
You should now be able to easily identify your next task.
Example:
1.The agile blog email I sent to myself doesn’t have to be reviewed right
now. I move the email my Agile subfolder. I mark it as unread to separate
it from the Agile emails I have read.
2.I finish my current task, archive the email, and notice new emails have
arrived. I quickly archive the low priority emails. I then work on the highest
priority task still in the inbox. I leave the rest as unread.
If using a desktop email program, set your work-in-progress limit
based on your inbox window height
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11. LIMIT WORK-IN-PROGRESS
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12. TAKE TIME TO MAKE
IT BETTER
Periodically review your Email Kanban and look for ways to
make it better. Some questions that might help:
•Will you have nested subfolders? Why?
•How long are your email tasks In Progress? What is your lead
time? Should this be improved?
•If you use automatic inbox sorting, can the emails be marked as
unread?
•What are your priorities? Are they truly reflected in your Email
Kanban?
Nobody knows your work better than you do!
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13. IMPROVEMENT (LEAD TIME)
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14. WORKFLOW SUMMARY
1. Work on your current task until complete. Break up larger
tasks into smaller tasks if necessary.
2. Review your inbox. Are you approaching your WIP limit?
1. If yes, for each piece of email, decide:
1. Whether to leave it in the main inbox or move it to a
subfolder.
2. Whether to leave it read or unread.
2. If no, pick the next highest priority task and begin.
3. Periodically review your process for opportunities to
make it better.
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15. Email: jgraham.wpg@gmail.com
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