KEY POINTS:
During our work day there are many interruptions. These can be in the form of internal communications, internal meetings, external communications and external meetings.
So, how do you juggle all the four components and give yourself the reputation of being someone who responds to these various lines of communication quickly?
The way I have come to use is to put myself under a timeframe challenge.
In the day there is no less or more communication, regardless of whether you answer it soon or later, nor how you answer it.
So for me, I find it better to leave my internal communication and meetings until the later hours of the working day. Generally they are better conducted then anyway, and any concerns needing earlier response are generally ironed out through the day anyway.
In my way of seeing it, it is the external communication through phone-calls, emails and letters that can make an otherwise organised day suddenly become somewhat disorganised.
You can easily become someone who is doing urgent things rather than someone who is doing important things.
Perhaps you might like to try the 60 minutes response rate to see how that would work for you.
On most days I leave a voice message on my phone saying that I will respond to people who leave a message within 60 minutes. Suddenly I have control back over my day.
You can imagine how people who leave voice messages suddenly assess the importance of their query when hearing such a message.
The opening line by people using the voice messager usually starts this way; "There is no need to get back to me in 60 minutes Carey, this is not urgent..."
It is an interesting opening to a voice message because it already takes a new form when the person is leaving that message and I believe this is simply because most people don't expect a response so soon.
When we have high expectations of ourselves, generally they come back in return.
Using an auto-responder on email to deliver the same message is not always possible, particularly if you travel, but if you approach it with the same mindset where possible, controlling the flow of communication is no different whether you respond in 60 minutes or in 3 hours.
Remember, the amount of communication coming in never changes - only our chosen response time to it does. It is a great point of difference and something that you can achieve.
Sometimes my friends also ring. They too assess the importance of their query. At the end of their messages they say, "Looking forward to the 60 minute challenge!"
* Carey Smith is the chief executive of Ray White New Zealand and author of the new book Deliver, in which he shares what he has learned about leadership in more than 20 years in the industry.
