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.

Growing Your Career into a Healthy New Year

Clutter. clutter clutter. Immediately the word conjures mounds of collected, no-longer-useful material goods. Clutter is not always physical. Clutter is a concept that quickly clouds our thinking, too.

At the end of they year, clean out the clutter for new opportunities and new thoughts.  This year, don't just roll into the next one. Take stock of 2017 and step with intention into 2018. 

You spend most of your time in your career, so enjoy it! 

Before entering into the new year, stop and think about how YOU can grow yourself. So much energy is spent dwelling on someone or something else that negatively impacted our own planned steps: "My company didn't do this," or  "They decided it wasn't the right time," etc. Know that whatever you are doing, you are learning. Learn to appreciate the unexpected, like this double iris that bloomed in my garden this winter! A bump in the road, does not set you off course.

It is your responsibility to take care of yourself and know your own value. So, this December, build a strategy for the new year. Give yourself an end-of-the-year invitation to grow. Create a checklist that allows you to put away all the mental clutter from the last 12 months. Take time for a little self-examination, then refresh and refill. 

I find this daily foundation in my life to be extremely helpful: 

1) Listen to new ideas

2) Collaborate with Others 

3) Be Healthy

4) Be Helpful 

5) Be Grateful 

5) Reflect 

Staying healthy and engaging with others in meaningful ways outside of work are key elements of your happiness. And that happiness extends into your performance and, ultimately, determines your success at work. 

How to Help this Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, remember what it means to help.

H is for Humor
E is for Esteem
L is for Listen
P is for Praise

When is it time to move on?

In this blog, I write a lot about the balance of career, family and community with mindfulness, fulfillment, slowing down and…turning it off. My hope is to provide some sound advice and encourage continued growth on a healthy and interesting path for all.

The toughest question when I consult is: How do I decide when it is time to move on to something new?

Sometimes that work-life balance may be achieved but perhaps the path is not as happy or as interesting as it once was.

Your answers to these questions are good indicators:

- Do I still enjoy my work?
- Do I still feel passionate about what I am doing?
- Is my work appreciated?
- Do I find that I am still able to add value to the company for whom I work?

- Does the leadership reflect the core values and the reason why I joined the company in the  first place?

- Am I staying fresh in my work and growing my skill set and talents?

- Is the work still inspiring or is it just way to “pay the bills”?  

- Do I continue to add value to the well being of the company?

- Does my mission still align with the mission of the company?

How were your answers? If they were mostly negative, then it might be time for some deeper reflection.

A couple of colleagues shared that headhunters had recently approached them. Often, this is a compliment to the person and their reputation in their market sector. I shared with them that they could see what they had to offer, as it is a great way to measure your current situation and compare it with other opportunities.

I believe that there are times when we should move on…and the reason is not always monetary. It is up to each and every one of us to believe in what we are called to do and to trust in the creation of our own destiny.

Embrace Change

In 2015, I wrote, “What is Change?" Since then, I can’t even begin to tell you how much change I have experienced! Some of it has been physical; some of it has been with my staff. Some of it has even been political. Some of it has been set in motion by me, and I’ve been a receiver of a lot of changes around me that impacted and changed me.

Yet, I still see change as a process of flow. It is the flow. It is the essence of life. It’s not about boredom or redundancy and it’s never a good thing to idle through change. Don’t shut off the heart when going through change! Trust in the ebb and flow. Transition -- how we handle it and what it teaches us -- is the greatest joy of being human.

So often we look at change as negative.  Yes, change is not always a choice; it may be a loss, or something we had not anticipated to take place in our lives.  How much my life has changed in these last several months! And though some of the changes seemed to be ever so difficult, many of the changes have really helped me to grow, learn and stretch myself in new directions.

The more I welcome and embrace change as a gift of opportunity, I find I actually think differently. Change simply means not getting “stuck” in the routine.

Every six months, I like to do a self-assessment to make sure that I am tuned into the changes that are happening around me so that I am still reaching and growing. It’s a lot like pruning and cleaning a garden to keep it fresh and healthy through the seasons. During a process of change, take a moment to be quiet and listen.  You’ll start to enjoy the new precisely because it is different! 

As we begin to welcome in the cooler air and rich colors of the autumn season, I encourage all of us to embrace the many changes ahead as a positive experience of “newness”—a refresh and refill for one’s soul.