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Breaking the “Instant Response” Cycle
Posted by: | CommentsPerhaps it’s because of women’s hard won reputation as excellent multitaskers. Or perhaps its because we all panic that if we don’t put in our two cents instantly, we’ll be ignored. But whatever the reason, too many of us have gotten into the nasty habit of being “overly responsive.”
As soon as our Blackberrys vibrate or we hear the ping of a new email arriving in our inbox (the tiny envelope icon lingering in the bottom right corner of the computer monitor, taunting us), most of us drop whatever we’re doing and check it out – eager to respond first, or at least to have the option to be the first to weigh in.
But, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to stop. Sure, there are times when major projects are reaching completion or you’re waiting to hear back about an important issue with one of your clients, so you need to be instantly accessible. But, most of the time, you don’t need to drop everything at the first sign of an email communication. In fact, waiting might actually help you.
Here are five reasons to wait before checking your email for the twentieth time this hour:
1. Your productivity suffers
Sure, you’re a great multi-tasker. That’s how you got to where you are today. But, more and more studies are showing that each time you take a break from your work (especially if you’re working on something mentally intensive, like writing a report or creating a presentation) it takes you much longer than the ten second email break to get your brain back into work mode. That’s why sometimes things that should take you an hour wind up taking three. So, I like to institute no-email blocks in the day where I’m doing my most intense writing. Then everything gets done faster and better.
2. Sometimes, time can actually help you
Have you ever stepped away from your desk for an hour, only to come back and see a huge chain of emails between a few of your staffers? You read through the chain thinking, “uh oh, what did I miss?” only to discover that a minor problem both appeared and was resolved in the time that you were away? I think we all want to think that our input is needed (most of the time it is, of course!), but if something truly urgent happens, I guarantee you’ll get a call if you need to weigh in. Otherwise, let your staffers figure out problems on their own, it’s how they learn.
3. The quick answer isn’t always the best answer
The pressure to respond instantly to emails can definitely be intense, especially when a heated debate is rapidly unfolding in cyber-space. But, like above, sometimes it’s best to wait until clearer heads prevail. If it looks like a fight is beginning to emerge, the last thing you want to do is hop in and fire off an angry email that could haunt you for days. Step away from the computer and wait until cooler heads prevail. You’ll be glad you did. In fact, since people are often more likely to be agressive via email than in person (it’s easier to hide behind the screen), you might be better off not responding at all and just setting up a meeting to talk the issue through.
4. It sets a precedent that you can’t escape from
In a lot of ways, email can be a trap. Once people get used to you responding to everything within minutes, that cycle can be hard to break. And, that’s how we get into situations where you spend your vacation with the Blackberry strapped to your ear or find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to check your email. I find that the best way to handle this is to be honest about when you will respond. Tell people how available you’ll be (or won’t be) during vacations and be clear about who can handle issues in your absence. And, as for every day, set aside a few times during the day when you’ll check/respond to email. There’s no reason that anyone needs to be kept waiting more than an hour or two and this still gives you solid blocks of time to do the “real” work.
5. It can give the image that your time isn’t as important as someone else’s
Think about it. If you can take the time out of your day to respond instantly to every single little issue that comes up, what else are you doing? Anyone who’s ever been frustrated because their boss took a day or two to respond to an email knows that the reason that they’re frustrated is because the person their waiting on is “more important” than they are. Remember how much your time is worth, and allocate your work accordingly.
Read more from contributing writer Jennifer Lee Johnson on her personal finance blog, The Next Rich Girl, or follow her on twitter.
How Many Hours A Day Can You Be Productive?
Posted by: | CommentsI once had a boss who would walk around the office at 5:05 to see who was sitting at their desk and who had already left for the day. He said that if you were able to leave at 5 every day, you didn’t care about your job.
So, we all sat around for an extra hour a day twiddling our thumbs so as not to arouse his suspicion. Sure, some days we had plenty of work to carry us to 6 or later. But, other days… not so much.
It was always especially tough for me. If there’s one thing I do really well, its manage my time. I’m the type who would rather work through lunch than stay late and I often manage my day down to the minute to make sure I get everything done on time – and done well.
So, sitting around every night just for appearances made me angry. Shouldn’t your work be evaluated based on… well.. your work? Not how many hours you punch on a time card?
What my boss wound up doing was giving me an incentive to be less productive (what was the point in getting everything done by 5 if you still had to stay another hour anyway?) and resentful. I asked for extra work, but there wasn’t always more to do (if there was, I did it, of course!) – which made me that much more resentful… What was I supposed to be doing for that extra hour or two if there wasn’t more work to do? All in all, it was frustrating.
Nowadays, I have a different problem. There’s always more to be done at my current job. I have ten thousand things on my to do list and enough work to carry me for 24 hours a day if I wanted to.
But, I’m still only working a 40 hour-ish week. Definitely never more than 45.
Why?
Career Moves: Thinking About What Your Next Steps Should Be
Posted by: | CommentsIn my last post, I talked about ways to make sure that you didn’t get a pink slip in today’s difficult economy. I mentioned things like not rushing out the door the instant the clock struck five and making sure you keep a positive attitude, all of which are some of the “no-brainers” that many of us forget about over time as we get comfortable in a job.
But one commenter mentioned brought up a bigger issue. If you’re watching the clock all day or if you have a negative attitude about your job, maybe you should rethink that job altogether. Should we all be using this time to get a reality check on our current job situations and look for something new? Something that inspires us?
Of course! Especially because I think you learn so much about an company by the way they treat their employees during a downturn. Has your organization used the recession as an excuse to treat you and your coworkers with disrespect or take advantage of you? Have they taken away perks that don’t affect the bottom line and blamed the economic downturn? Has the work environment become unbearable? These are all signs that it might be time to move on.
However, moving on in a recession can be scary. You want to make sure that you’re doing the right thing. And, even more than that, you want to make sure that, no matter what happens, you’ll be able to pay your bills. Read More→
Five Ways to Avoid a Pink Slip in the Recession
Posted by: | CommentsNo one is going to deny the economic gloom and doom filling the news each night. As unemployment soars close to 10% and more and more companies announce that they will be downsizing, it’s time to take a hard look at yourself and make sure that your name isn’t on the list if your company needs to let people go.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Check your attitude
We’re all stressed and we’re all angry about the economy, but don’t let that stress seep into your work life. This is the time for all of us to be team players and to try to stay positive in the face of adversity. I don’t mean that you should roll over and let your employer take advantage of you in the name of the downturn (see my previous post about how loyalty can actually hurt your career), but I do think that we all have to be agile as we figure out how the evolving economy affects our lives. Try not to be the office whiner. All that will do is make people around you more upset. And, if you’re the one hurting office morale, you may be the next to go. Save your complaining for drinks with your (non-work) friends. Read More→
Is Your Sense of Loyalty Actually Hurting Your Career?
Posted by: | CommentsIf there’s anything that this economic downturn has taught us, it’s that the only person looking out for you is you. In this era of mass layoffs, slashed benefits and mandatory work “furloughs,” we’re all learning quickly that years of loyalty aren’t worth much in a recession.
I think that this mindset can sometimes be more difficult for women to get used to than men. Traditionally, men are more apt to negotiate for better pay, to ask for promotions, and to look for better opportunities when things dry up at their current companies. Women, on the other hand, tend to be quieter about touting their own accomplishments and aren’t as aggressive about negotiating promotions and raises, thinking instead that their good work and loyalty will be rewarded in the long run — without their calling attention to it.
