Assigning threads and self-assigning

The inbox is shared, which is its strength and its risk. Assigning is the small habit that keeps a shared inbox from turning into chaos.

What assigning is

The assignee is the one person responsible for a conversation. A thread with nobody responsible shows Unassigned at the top.

Assigning does not lock anyone out. Colleagues can still read the thread and still reply. It is a statement of responsibility, not a padlock.

Why it matters more than it looks

Three things depend on it.

• It stops two people writing the same reply, which looks careless to the customer.
• It fills your My Threads tab, which is how you find your own work again.
• It makes Unassigned meaningful. That tab is where forgotten conversations hide, and it only works if everyone assigns.

How to assign a thread to yourself

1. 1Open the thread.
2. 2At the top of the middle column, click Unassigned.
3. 3A small panel opens with a Search members... box and a list of people.
4. 4Find your own name, which has a You badge next to it.
5. 5Click it, or highlight it with the arrow keys and press Enter.
6. 6Your name and photo replace the word Unassigned.

How to assign a thread to a colleague

1. 1Open the thread and click the assignee button at the top. It will say Unassigned, or show whoever currently holds it.
2. 2Start typing the colleague's name in the Search members... box.
3. 3Click their name in the list.
4. 4The thread now sits in their My Threads tab.

Participants are not assignees

In the thread details panel there is a Participants section with an Add a participant button. This is a different idea.

Participants are colleagues following the conversation. They can keep an eye on it without being responsible for it. There is still only ever one assignee.

A thread can also be assigned to a team rather than a person, so the right group picks it up.

Participants are also not the same as Cc. A participant is a teammate inside Gruvi. A Cc is an email address on the outgoing email.

Finding your assigned threads

1. 1Open the Inbox.
2. 2Click the My Threads tab above the thread list.
3. 3Everything assigned to you is listed there.
4. 4To find work nobody has claimed, click Unassigned instead.