Home > Blog > A Minute With Jessica > To Answer or Not to Answer
Blog

A Minute With Jessica


Published by: Jessica Brozyna 11-15-2011  |  POSTED IN: A Minute With Jessica

To Answer or Not to Answer

 
Are You Still Running Out of Time Everyday? Want Some Help?

When the phones are ringing and your inbox seems to ready to spill out of your computer screen you may wonder how can I get everything done? Some experts advocate answering one-line reply emails immediately, while other seasoned office workers find it better to create complex color-coded to-do lists in order to help prioritize what to handle first.

In my experience there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for prioritizing emails and phone calls, but rather every decision needs to be made in relation to the others. For example, if client A emails you about lunch next week at Ihop, it is probably less important than the email from client B who is wondering why their web site is suddenly displaying in Swahili.

Here are a few general strategies that I have learned to follow so that I can be productive, stress free and thus more able to avoid the call of those Kit Kats in the freezer:

  1. Let some calls go to voicemail, especially if you are in the middle of an important task like filing your nails and engaging in water cooler gossip. Seriously though, with all our fancy technical distractions these days, it is very useful to learn how to tune some interruptions out and just get through one thing at a time.
    2.  
  2. Use lots of email folders to organize emails that are answered and set up reminder notifications to follow up on sent emails when you know the person you are sending them to has a tendency to put your emails straight into their deleted items folder before even reading them ...
    3.  
  3. Delegate. There are somethines things that I really do not need to be doing myself. When your intern is playing "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” and texting their BFF, you may want to consider giving them a project like filing or writing a blog for you such as this one.
    4.  
  4. Print and create multiple piles and files, with names such as: “the life or death file,” “Maybe later,” “Maybe Never,” and “Are you kidding, you want me to do THAT?”


Bottom line is, make work fun and do what works for you in the time you have allotted for the office. Do something, not nothing, and don’t leave with any home work. That’s for kids.
Thanks for reading. Jason.
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe below to this blog.
 
About Jason Ciment
Formerly an attorney and CPA, Jason has been working online since 1997. His columns on affiliate marketing can still be found on www.Clickz.com and his book on search engine optimization can be found at www.seotimetable.com.

This blog is published 4x per week and covers website design and SEO tips as well as a wide range of tips and advice for working and living online more efficiently and enjoyably.
 

SUBSCRIBE TO THE LADEZIGN BLOG
Enter your email address below:

Delivered by FeedBurner

 
 

Value entered for e-mail is invalid
 Passwords don't match
 Please fill up missing fields below
Comment:
 
Enter validation code
Or click here if you can't see the code clearly.

Comments
 
 

no comments found


Let's connect.       Request a free consultation/quote for your next website design or search marketing project.           

x