According to a recent study, the total amount of routine communication that goes to the average person over a 3 month period amounts to 2.3 million words. Another survey reported that the average worker, with the explosion of e-mail, voice-mail, and faxes as communication tools, handles 178 messages each day. While this new technology has helped business professionals achieve things never thought possible, many in today's time-starved world also feel overwhelmed by it. The barrage of the various forms of electronic mail we must navigate daily has brought with it stress, confusion and a sense of frustration given the enormous demands it makes on our precious time, time that could be better spent getting face-to-face with prospects and customers. Eighty-four percent of workers report that they are interrupted by messages three or more times every hour and the only solution left for many is to bring work home with them just to stay afloat. Clearly, the New Technology is affecting workplace productivity, creativity and morale.
Here are 6 proven lessons that will help you work more effectively in the Digital Age: 1. Develop Good E-Mail Habits. Set aside specific, scheduled times during the day to answer your e-mail. Remain focused on your other important activities the rest of the time. Some entrepreneurs, fed up with the e-mail glut that often floods them with over 100 messages a day, have decided to turn their computers off when there is a key project at hand that demands their full attention. When sending e-mail, also remember your "Netiquette" and keep your messages short, minimize broadcast messages and use the "subject" line creatively to avoid being deleted. As the IBM slogan says: "Machines should work; people should think."
2. Use Voice-Mail to Your Advantage. To save time when you are busy and avoid a long, two-way conversation, leave colleagues crisp, detailed messages when they are unlikely to be there. If you actually need them to call you back to discuss something, avoid phone tag by letting them know a specific time you will expect their call or, if possible, have them paged. Another time tactic I teach in my technology management seminars for business people is to set aside specific blocks of daily time to return or receive calls. Many business people who frequently travel also use their voice mail to dictate short messages while they are on the road.
3. Be Less Formal in Your Faxing. To manage the storm of faxes which threaten to take over your desktop, simply jot your replies at the bottom of the fax you have received and return it. While some faxes call for a more formal (and time-consuming) response, the vast majority of faxes the average person receives can be handled in this highly-efficient way. Another benefit is that when people see how busy you are, they will think twice about wasting your time with trivial messages. Also get in the habit of sending faxes directly from your computer through a fax/modem, removing the need to print your message and then have it faxed from an independent fax machine.
4. Get to Know Your PC. Investing the "upfront" hours required to learn the full array of functions and features of your personal computer will pay huge dividends in the long run and profoundly improve your productivity. Discover the best in software programs by asking leaders in your field which ones they are using to multiply their effectiveness in areas such as contact management, presentations, scheduling, and communications. Read the manuals, take the training courses and learn all the shortcuts that will allow you to maximize the power that is sitting on your desktop, just waiting to be used as designed.
5. Invest in Top Technology. Don't be "penny wise but pound foolish" as the old saying goes. Spend the money required to ensure that you have the best tools you can afford to help you work smarter and use the latest technology to your advantage. Using top technology with the latest features and advances enhances your productivity as well as your image as a serious business professional. Nothing is more irritating than receiving a static-filled phone call from someone using a cellular of inferior quality or being unable to contact someone who has yet to discover the wealth of new ways to stay connected with colleagues, prospects and customers.
6. Avoid "Techno-stress" with a Serious Daily Break. The power of a regular period of renewal to reduce the buildup of "Techno-stress" and tension should not be underestimated. Even 10 minutes of mental relaxation in the face of a busy day or a few quick stretches will restore you to your natural state of focus and calm and reenergize you in the process. We live in exciting times rich with abundant opportunities that the smart entrepreneur will seize to guarantee their success. By practicing these simple strategies to manage the new technology, you will be able to apply the full extent of your creativity, ability and energy to do what you need to do to realize your objectives. You deserve nothing less.
Robin Sharma, LL.B., LL.M., is one of the world's top experts on leadership and personal development. The author of ten major international bestsellers including The Greatness Guide Series, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Robin is the founder of Sharma Leadership International Inc., a global training firm with a simple mission: to help people Lead Without Title. Profiled regularly on leading international media such as CNN and MSNBC, clients include GE, Nike, FedEx, NASA, Unilever, Microsoft, BP, IBM, The Harvard School of Business and Yale University. His website is one of the most popular leadership and personal development destinations on the Internet.
