Technology Tips, Tricks and Rants

Seriously, I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted because people don’t read the email. These are even people I know (whom I yell at), who continue to respond without looking to see what they’re responding too. So please, I beg of you…..

1. Do not respond to a subject line before looking to see if there’s content

If you receive my newsletters you’ll know that I usually use an attention grabbing subject line. This is good for my open rates, but not for those readers who reply based on the subject line only. Not only do they miss the whole point, but I then have to reply to their inappropriate response.

This goes back to my past email tip - - Do not read your emails until you are ready to process them.

2. Do not respond based on just the first line of an email

Time and again I have had to resend/rewrite/telephone a recipient because they responded to the first line of the email only - neglecting to address any other points or questions further down.

If you’re not working efficiently, you may be making it difficult for your clients/vendors/partners to work efficiently.

So, take a deep breath and slow down. You’ll end up saving time!

Just because you can text/email/tweet/call/post on facebook - you get the idea - doesn’t mean it’s the right format for what you’re trying to communicate.

Just because someone calls/texts/emails you, doesn’t mean it’s the right time to respond.

Technology is a valuable resource when used properly - it is not (should not be) a wall to hide behind.

So, some rules (aka common sense):

1. If you must read/respond to/initiate an electronic communication when walking down the street, step to the side out of the way of the flow of traffic.

2. When walking up/down the subway stairs do not be reading/responding to/initiating an electronic communication. Put down your device and walk.

3. If you must finish a conversation before going down into the subway, do not stand on the stairs or block the stairs. Move and let others by.

4. If you’re expecting an important communication while socializing with someone else tell them. If a communication comes through that you weren’t expecting and isn’t potentially critical - ignore it. Yes, that’s right, you are allowed to ignore that incoming call/email/text if you are busy.

5. If you’re driving, that email/text/tweet is not important. If it is, the person will call you and you can talk using your hands free device. There’s a reason the saying “curiosity killed the cat” exists.

Is it really necessary to walk down the street checking 2 phones (so many people now seem to carry a work phone and a personal phone, both of which they seem to think they need to check constantly)? Is every message truly that critical? Imagine you’re at a doctor’s office or an event, where you can’t use your phone… would everything around you collapse? Try walking down the street one day and observing all that is going on around you. You’ll be amazed at what you may learn.

I call you.

You answer the phone and say you’re in a meeting and can’t speak now.

So why did you answer the phone?

If you’re in a meeting then focus on the meeting. There is no need to pick up the phone - that’s what voice mail is for.

A stranger rings your doorbell and says there’s a bomb in your house and you have to evacuate immediately at least 2 blocks away. You start to question but he’s so insistent that you run. You don’t stop to notice that there are no emergency vehicals around and that none of your neighbors are being evacuated, you just run.

Of course, when you return you find you’ve been robbed.

Okay this isn’t a likely scenario but, it’s exactly what so many do on their computers.

A colorful window pops up and starts flashing ‘virus alert’ ’ virus alert’ click here immediately to have your computer scanned and viruses removed. So you click. Never mind that you haven’t done anything - downloaded a program, opened a link on a strange email, etc. You were told you had a virus so you must and you clicked.

Congratulations, you have now given yourself the virus.

Moral: Don’t let curiosity rule and don’t click if it doesn’t make sense.

Your timely tips helpl  love your blogs  

How about that extra hand I’ve always wanted?

Many of us think we need more hours in our day to accomplish what needs doing. Really? Do you think that will help?

If you move to a larger house, for how long do you really have more space? Just as we expand our stuff into the space we have, so we tend to expand our work into the hours in a day.

There is a better way. It’s called process.

I know, I know….you know how to use your technology and your process is perfect. The only problem is the day is too short. Wrong!

Think about what you do each day that sucks the hours away - How many times do you touch each email? How much time to you spend looking for a document? How often are you looking to see if a colleague is at their desk so you can ask them a question? How much time do you spend on your ‘to do’ list?

The little time drains add up to lost hours.

If you want those extra hours, you have to open your mind to the possibility that the way you are doing things may not be the most efficient.

So, the question is -How badly do you want time?

Susan,

I already picked up two useful tips from your very first blog. Keep ‘em coming.

Jay

I’m all about efficiency - learning and using your technology resources to be more productive. But training is only as good as a user’s willingness to implement process and manage their time accordingly.

So here’s the thing….my time is no more and no less important than yours.

My rant? People who don’t schedule time to get to their next meeting.

There is no way that you can be on time for a 12:00 lunch meeting 4 blocks from your office if you have an in office meeting from 11-12.

You need to leave time between meetings to get from one to the next. This includes conference calls as well. There is no way you will be on time for a call in your office at 3, if you’re coming from a meeting that doesn’t end until 3.

The very simple solution - schedule ‘travel’ time. Be it from room to room or location to location, you need time to get to your next appointment with the information you need in front of you.

So simple and yet so few do it.

Okay, it’s my pet peeve - people who think they need to include everyone on every email and make sure everyone knows it. WHY????

There are times that recipients need to know who else has been communicated with and so it is appropriate to send or cc (carbon copy) your email to everyone. But most times that’s not the case. Hence the reason for the bcc (blind carbon copy) option. Use it.

Think about it this way:

• Not all of the recipients need to know each others’ email address, and not everyone copied wishes to have their email address shared.
• Having to scroll through a long list of emails is not user friendly.

The same goes true when responding to an email. Does everyone need to know your response, or just the person who sent it? My point….do NOT “Reply to all” unless everyone needs the information you’re sharing.

If an email is sent to 10 people asking each of them to RSVP, no one wants to receive 10 emails saying the person is/is not attending. This is a case when you reply only to the sender.

So, for the sanity of everyone who sends and receives many emails each day, please take a second to think before sending.

Thanks for reading my vent.