The omnipresence of e-mail in everyday working life
Emails have been the central means of communication in everyday working life for decades – despite modern alternatives such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. While messengers are increasingly being used in private life, email remains dominant in professional life. This seems logical: it is fast, documented and can be archived. But this is precisely where its weakness lies – and a danger.
Slack co-founder Cal Henderson once called emails the “cockroaches of the internet” – they can be fought, but not eradicated. According to Statista, around 361 billion emails were sent every day in 2024 – and the trend is rising. Even in modern & agile companies, email is still present. It becomes problematic when the inbox is turned into a to-do list.
What began as an emergency solution has become routine for many. Out of convenience or due to a lack of tools, employees use emails to manage tasks – even though the inbox was never intended for this purpose. This slows down work processes, creates stress and reduces productivity in the office.
Email as a means of communication – but not a task manager
Email was developed for the written exchange of information – not as a tool for task management. Older generations in particular see it as a formal and reliable means of communication. And it is – if it is used for its intended purpose.
Its strength lies in the structured transmission of complex content. However, it is unsuitable for operational tasks: Tasks must be prioritizable, delegable and traceable – characteristics that emails do not fulfill. CC and BCC threads with endless replies create neither clarity nor structure.
Email communication is rarely linear. Parallel conversations, overloaded inboxes and a lack of context make it difficult to maintain an overview. And if the CC chain is interrupted once, then “good night”.
Professional tools for task and project management offer significantly more transparency and efficiency here.
7 convincing reasons why emails are unsuitable for task management
It may seem convenient to simply leave an important email in your inbox and deal with it later as a to-do. But this approach comes with numerous disadvantages that directly affect your productivity and quality of work. Here are seven key reasons why you shouldn’t use your email inbox as a to-do list:
- Unstructured task overview: An email inbox is organized linearly – new messages land at the top, older ones slide to the bottom. This makes it difficult to keep track of open tasks, their priority and their deadlines.
- Lack of prioritization: Emails offer no intelligent categorization or weighting of tasks. Everything seems equally important – whether it’s an invitation to a meeting or a critical customer inquiry.
- Tasks get lost in the stream of emails: With several dozen emails a day, it’s only a matter of time before important tasks are unintentionally overlooked or forgotten.
- No reminder or automatic follow-up: Unlike specialized task tools, an email inbox offers no systematic reminders or deadlines. What you don’t note yourself gets lost. Of course, it is now possible to add dates to emails in Outlook, for example. But a professional reminder of individual tasks (steps) looks different. In addition, you can only be reminded of the email itself; if several to-dos with different deadlines are hidden in the email, it becomes difficult.
- Growing CC distribution lists cause misunderstandings: Those on the CC are often unsure whether they should act or just stay informed. This leads to unclear responsibilities and duplication of work. Modern todo apps can assign (partial) tasks directly to a user. In the best case, even with an estimated time required, which makes prioritization even easier.
- Communication slows down: If a task is delegated via email, a ping-pong of queries often begins. Instead of quick clarification, this results in waiting times and unnecessary coordination.
- Responsibility is postponed instead of assumed: Sending an email often suggests that one’s own task is “ticked off”. Whether it is actually completed depends on the recipient – this creates a deceptive sense of security.
These seven points make it clear: using the inbox as a to-do list inevitably leads to inefficiency, stress and an unclear sense of responsibility – and therefore to wasted resources.
Psychological effects: Why we still turn to e-mailPsychological effects: Why we still turn to e-mail
Despite the obvious disadvantages, many people continue to use email as a task manager. The reasons lie less in technology than in behavior.
Habit plays a central role. The inbox is familiar, always available and conveys a sense of security. Changes mean organizational and cognitive effort – and many people shy away from this. The feeling of control also contributes to usage: Tasks seem centrally visible, although they often disappear into the archive.
There is also the psychological effect: an opened email feels like a completed task – even without any real action. This quick feeling of reward encourages processing according to visibility rather than priority.
In addition, there is often a fear of losing information: “What if I can’t find the task again?” This leads to emails being left in the inbox – with increasing stress as a result.
Productivity killer Inbox: What’s really behind it
At first glance, the email inbox seems efficient – everything is bundled together in one place. But if you let yourself be guided by your inbox, you work reactively instead of strategically. This not only slows down productivity, but also promotes inefficient time management.
A central problem is the constant change of context (multitasking trap). Many people leave their inbox open all the time and respond immediately – which reduces focus and cognitive performance. Studies show: After each interruption, it takes around 23 minutes to concentrate on work again.
Decision-making costs are also a factor. Every email requires a quick response – delete, reply, forward? These micro-decisions create mental exhaustion and reduce motivation and creativity in the long term.
Emails also dictate the rhythm of work: Those who take on tasks from the inbox work to the beat of others – instead of proactively shaping the day, the inbox encourages a reactive way of working. If you want to work more productively, you need to move away from email-driven processes and rely on structured tools.
We remind you of the title of the article:
“My Inbox is not your Todo-List”.
In short: if you want to increase your productivity, you need to move away from email-driven work – and consciously switch to structured tools and methods that enable proactive work.
Exceptions confirm the rules: Anyone who works in customer support or a similar department has no choice but to let the customer dictate the pace. But here too – especially for medium- to long-term tasks – it often makes more sense to use a tool to manage tasks. E-mail serves as a “communication gateway” and the tasks are then “translated” into todo tools.
The role of hierarchies in email communication
Email use is closely linked to hierarchies. In many organizations, a top-down pattern prevails: managers send, employees receive. Email fits perfectly into this model – as a digital handover of tasks, often without clear feedback or results.
This communication behavior promotes one-way logic. There is a lack of feedback, transparency and genuine collaboration. Instead of solving problems together, responsibility is passed on – according to the motto: “I sent an email.“
Another aspect: digital tools such as Slack, MS Teams or Asana are often underrepresented for generational reasons. Many managers prefer emails because they have grown up with them. This comfort zone prevents the further development of the internal communication culture.
Email is therefore not just technology, but an expression of organizational character – and that is precisely why its role should be critically reflected upon if modern collaboration is to succeed. So if the hierarchy is relying on e-mail, it’s time to rethink.
The difference between push and pull communication: why emails often slow things down
A common misunderstanding in professional communication is the equation of information transfer with task distribution. However, the type of communication has a significant influence on efficiency – especially when comparing the push and pull principle.
Emails are based on push communication: the sender decides the time, content and recipient – regardless of the actual need. This leads to interruptions, information overload and unnecessary sorting work for the recipient. This model is particularly unsuitable in agile environments.
Pull communication works differently: information is actively retrieved when needed. Collaborative tools such as wikis, boards or digital workspaces focus on transparency, personal responsibility and time-independent access – this promotes concentration and an overview.
An image for this: Push is the unsolicited package on the desk, Pull is the open shelf for self-service. Those who use their emails to control tasks remain in push mode – and block efficient, self-determined collaboration.
Of course, this is also strongly related to the hierarchy. Bosses who have to actively “read up” on the status of a project in the project management tool instead of having this presented to them on a silver platter by their subordinates is something new for many – especially older – managers.
Conclusion – My Inbox still isn’t your todo list:
In today’s working world, where email is still the central means of communication, it’s tempting to use your inbox as a to-do list. However, as we have explained in detail in this article, this is an approach that is not only inefficient but can also have a significant impact on employee productivity and wellbeing.
Email was originally designed for the exchange of information and not for the management of tasks. Its linear structure and lack of prioritization make it an unsuitable tool for managing tasks. Instead, using the inbox as a task list often leads to confusing chaos in which important information is lost and responsibilities remain unclear.
Furthermore, the psychological effects should not be underestimated. The habit of using email as a task manager is reinforced by a sense of control and security – although this security is deceptive. The constant distraction of new emails and the associated decision-making costs lead to employees working reactively instead of proactively. This not only inhibits individual productivity, but also the efficiency of the entire team.
In order to be successful in an increasingly complex working environment, it is crucial to move away from email-driven working methods. Instead, companies should rely on modern tools that enable a clear distribution of tasks and promote transparent communication. Tools such as project management software or digital collaboration platforms not only provide a better overview of tasks and responsibilities, but also support a culture of collaboration and ownership.
To summarize: if you want to increase your productivity, you should consciously say goodbye to using your email inbox as a to-do list. The way to a more effective way of working is through structured tools and methods that enable you to work proactively and improve your day-to-day work in the long term. Remember: My inbox is not your to-do list – make better use of your time and energy!
