Pick Up the Phone and Call

In recent posts, I’ve talked about ways to build collaboration, identify expectations for meetings, how to allow for time in your daily calendars to think, and how to discuss challenges and develop solutions human to human. If you are one of my regular readers, you’re developing a good kit of practical business tools and tips to help you grow your business attributes as a leader with the foundation to build a successful team.   

One of your most valuable tools is communication. I find it ironic that one of the reasons people live by their cellphones is to be available anywhere, at anytime to take a call and yet, people tend to do anything possible to avoid picking up the phone.

One of the most important business tips I can give is to “pick up the phone” and call the person or client. 

The trouble with this fast-paced, technology-revolutionized modern world we live in is that we are all trying to find ways to be more efficient and save time, but we are all inundated with communication.  I’d like to suggest that instead of sending so many emails and texts, practice making a phone call (or meeting someone in person).

More and more studies in business reports and journals show that the key to being more efficient in your day-to-day operations is to pick up the phone and call.  With so much electronic noise, no one is taking the time necessary to read through a chain of emails and synthesize what is really being discussed. 

When trying to schedule a meeting, people will spend hours going back and forth to secure a date and time. Why not just pick up the phone to call the person, compare calendars and schedule a time to meet—which generally takes around five minutes?  With that, you have an opportunity to interact in conversation with the person and ask them about their day. (Remember how great that feels, fellow human?)

I listened to an interview recently with a notable doctor of psychology who has spent the last decade researching the rapid growth of depression and anxiety in our culture.  He found that, as humans, our number one necessity is the need for interaction with others. He asked this question:  If you had a problem, how many people in your immediate circle of business colleagues or friends could you talk to? Several years ago, the majority of subjects could easily list three to four people. Today, the overwhelming response was zero among the people in the study!

In a recent team meeting, we were discussing the workflow of a project—schedules and deadlines with the various departments involved—in order to achieve successful completion and implementation.  I asked if all the department leaders and team members had been contacted, via a one-on-one meeting or phone call regarding the final schedule. Immediately, the response I heard was, “Yes, they were included on the email chain, so they should have read the plan.”

I then asked the lead of this project if they had actually contacted the other department leaders to verify that they had read the email and were prepared to implement the schedule for the project.  Silence took over the room, followed by a quiet “No.” No one had had a direct person-to-person meet or talk with leaders from the other departments or their team members!

I suggested that we pick up the phone and call the other department leaders on the spot. Some were able to take our call during our meeting.  We learned that they had looked at the email but were waiting to hear form the leader of another group to discuss the next steps forward to better prepare their schedules to meet the deadlines. 

What a great lesson for everyone. Issue solved. No unnecessary delays or miscommunication.  Direct person-to-person communication can actually save time, improve communications and allow everyone to take ownership of a SUCCESSFUL project.   

Sharing in conversation and truly listening builds a trusted and time-effective, collaborative environment for both one’s internal and external clients. 

·      Pick up the phone and call.

·      Leave a message if they are not there.

·      Make sure your message is specific about why you are calling.

·      Have a purpose for the call and be mindful of their time and schedules.

·      Be genuine in your conversation—talk about other topics beside a work item or deadline.

Take the time to pick up the phone. Too much gets lost in email translations.

Are You Looking and Not Seeing?

Do you see your surroundings or are you spending too much time in your head…?

I knew I was spending too much time in my head when, upon returning from a recent walk, I had no recollection of my surroundings during my walk.

With the constant distraction of technological gadgets, I’m missing things.  There is no stop to multi-tasking all day long.  Are you trying to figure out your place in this conversion of human beings with technology?  As we are asked to do more with less time, are we doing everything well?

Recently I reserved some time to compose a letter. I proofed it and sent it out. The next day, the recipient pointed out a very important missing item – that I never should have missed.  

It was obvious. I was not present when I wrote the letter (even though I thought I was). Lots of other thoughts were filtering through my head -- not to mention texts and emails and calls. How did I allow myself on the hampster wheel when I tell everyone to watch out for it?

So, before I start in on something new, I am choosing to close my eyes and say, “This is what I am focusing on now.”  

I am consciously slowing down, organizing ideas and prioritizing; making realistic goals before moving forward. The work, the errands and the schedules will always be there.

Be present in all you do. By turning off all of the excess noise and distractions, the time we have is spent more wisely and we spend less time correcting our careless mistakes.

Handling Transition

From a post industrial society to a highly technological society

From childhood to adulthood

From beginning or ending a relationship

From employee to manager

From working life to retirement

From health through illness—and back again

We live transition. Every day. On a big scale and on a very personal scale. And, the first transition I talk about on this list is probably having the most impact on how well we cope (or not) with the transitions in our personal lives.

The more people I talk to, I realize that no one really talks about how to adjust or prepare for transition that is constantly swirling around us. Is it because it’s so constant, we just wade through it?

There is an important conversation to be had. This high-tech society in which we live gives us less and less time to stop and ponder when what we really need is to give ourselves the permission to take our time as we walk through the transitions of life.

Over time, I’ve learned that a transition works ONLY when we accept in advance that our calendars are going to change. A transition is going to change your timing in life. Accepting a promotion, for example, means you are going to have to take some steps away from your own time.  Transition means that your whole “person” is changing along with it.

People don’t talk about the emotional changes – the anxiety, uncertainty, instability, and the loss. You will, no doubt, need to prepare and let go of some things to invite that transition into your life in a positive way.

Talk about it.

Give yourself time.

Process it – emotions and all.

How do you welcome something new into your life?