Many employees say, “but I’m client-facing, I need to respond right away.”" Or just for this deadline."
I would agree that an urgent situation calls for an immediate response. There is a reason we call 911 instead of emailing. Right?
However, we can all agree that for most people, those are usually few and far between.
In fact, checking digital communication at certain intervals will benefit you and also help serve your client more effectively.
You see, we know we aren’t actually capable of multitasking. In fact, our brain switches between tasks.
Every time this happens, we:
- hinder our productivity
- make more mistakes
- stress ourselves out.
Does your client or your peers enjoy when you make errors or forget to include a key part of your deliverable?
Do they like when you're delayed on returning something because you were “switch-tasking?”
Probably not.
Your clients, employers and peers want you to be present.
That’s why it’s important to set communication expectations.
I’ve said this to multiple customers (and my bosses), even those within the scary NYC financial services. It’s all in the way you communicate it. You can use the following scrip and alter it how you see fit:
“Hi! I love my job and exceeding your expectations. I do this by making sure your orders are error-free. I prepare for our meetings and provide the correct resources. I do not multitask while in our meetings or on your calls. You can be assured that I am focused when I am working with you or completing your projects. Therefore, I do not make a habit of checking email or my phone during meetings or when I’m working on projects. I check my digital communication ____ times per day. Therefore, the best way to reach me in an emergency is _____. Or please title any communication with “URGENT” if there is ever an emergency. This helps me to prioritize.”
I have not had one customer (or boss) in my entire career state that this is unreasonable.
I’ve consistently attracted clients and created repeat customers for over a decade of practicing this Mindful technique.
Are you interested in productivity hacks like this? Reach out to me to train your team or 1:1 coaching to learn the specific tools to integrate into your day for proven productivity and wellbeing.