Some thoughts on my experiment with Inbox Zero (and why I think Inbox C is better)
When I started with inbox zero, I found out that quickly and eventially my #1 priority became managing my inbox! This was the first problem. The second problem was that any email with a request in it took priority over requests that weren't in my inbox. I felt I could not remove the email unless I answered it. The third problem was that inbox zero left me with poor satisfaction. I would clean it all out, and five minutes later, an email would trickle in. Either I could jump on it (thus making my inbox #1 priority) or I could leave it, and then the trickle would turn into a stream of email, etc.
After awhile I abandoned that and moved to the idea of inbox C, with the C standing for in Control, or in Charge or in Command of your inbox. You feel Comfortable with the amount of email in your inbox. Hence the C.
What I do each day is take all the emails I need to work on and move them to a temporary folder. Then I file everything else. At this point, I am technically at Inbox Zero, but that's not important. Of the emails in the temporary folder, I try to convert them into todos (and then file them) or, in the worst case, put them back in my inbox. My inbox is not at zero, but I am in control of it. (Also, C stands for one hundred, and if you have more than 100 emails in your inbox, you are not in control.) An inbox is not a todo list or a plan: don't treat it as one.
So that's what I do. I like the sound of Inbox Zero, but it's not practical. Inbox C doesn't sound as interesting, but it works better.
The other issue I have with Inbox Zero is that it all depends on how busy you are and how big a project/team you are on. If you are on a big project with alot of people, you are going to get alot of email. It's hard to stay in control of that. The first thing you need to do is beg off on somethings, if you can. If you can do that, then you can either delete or ignore more emails.
Likewise, if you are between projects, your stream of emails slows down. Whenever that happens, I try and eliminate automatic emails I once signed up for and no longer need. You need to treat those things like weeds. Your penultimate goal is to have less email and use better methods of communications. Your ultimate goal is to have just the right amount of work to do.