January 19, 2009 248 Comments

Be Realistic About Time

Something’s happened to our expectations. In my lifetime, I have seen the expectation of a response in business dwindle down from two days to no more than a few hours. Mostly, it’s my web friends to blame. Offline-only people don’t seem as frantic about their pace, but my connections via the web? If two or three hours pass between the time I receive a direct message on Twitter, or an email, I’ll get the opposite piece of correspondence asking me if I received the message (If someone sends me a tweet, I’ll get an email asking if I received it, and vice versa). Text messages slip past my screen asking if I saw the email come in.

When did we start expecting this kind of turnaround? When did we all opt to be Pavlov to the dinging bell? Who said this was how business gets done?

Equally interesting is that this seems to be the expecation regardless of time of day, and on weekends as well. I received a query on Saturday evening, and found a somewhat more anxious email in my box before noon on Sunday.

We’re all to blame. It’s no one person’s fault. But it doesn’t have to be like this. We can reinstate boundaries and manage expectations. Business has to move fast, but do we really want the future where we’re all tethered to Twitter?

Not even I want that.

Photo credit Deja V Maker

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Laurie Broderick

Recently I was at my local Starbucks on a Saturday morning. A Dad and his little boy were in front of me. The Dad was non-stop on his Blackberry. The little boy was very well behaved and asked a question or two about the various pastries in the display. The Dad either didn’t answer or was very short tempered. The Dad eventually shouted at the little boy to “wait”. The little boy’s shoulders dropped and he didn’t say anything again while in the store. What kind of relationship do you think this Dad will have with his son long-term? Remember the song “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin? Anyone with kids, take a couple of mins today to listen to it. It might help with setting priorities and establishing expectations. It’s as hard for me as the next person to not check emails, tweets, etc. but I know I’m more energized and productive to my family and clients if I have my own time not interrupted by business. If that means I don’t become a Rock Star, that’s OK as long as I have good relationships with my family. It’s your choice.
Laurie Broderick

Recently I was at my local Starbucks on a Saturday morning. A Dad and his little boy were in front of me. The Dad was non-stop on his Blackberry. The little boy was very well behaved and asked a question or two about the various pastries in the display. The Dad either didn’t answer or was very short tempered. The Dad eventually shouted at the little boy to “wait”. The little boy’s shoulders dropped and he didn’t say anything again while in the store. What kind of relationship do you think this Dad will have with his son long-term? Remember the song “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin? Anyone with kids, take a couple of mins today to listen to it. It might help with setting priorities and establishing expectations. It’s as hard for me as the next person to not check emails, tweets, etc. but I know I’m more energized and productive to my family and clients if I have my own time not interrupted by business. If that means I don’t become a Rock Star, that’s OK as long as I have good relationships with my family. It’s your choice.
http://rjleaman.com Rebecca Leaman

“Is that good business?”
Good point, Amber. I’m with @usegraymatter on the need to draw our own boundaries, but there are a few realities of the business world that come into play here too. For example, for those of us freelancers who deal with clients in different time zones around the world – who *choose* to deal with clients in different time zones – it’s a business necessity to respect that our client may be facing a very real and very urgent crisis just when we’re shuffling off to have a late dinner. If this occurs within the client’s normal working day, and we’ve signed on to be part of their business team… then it’s neither bad manners nor an inappropriate pushing of boundaries, for the client to expect us to be on deck, I’d suggest: just an unfortunate side-effect of a global economy. Social chit-chat, however… that’s where a sanity-saving line in the sand can (and perhaps should) be drawn.
http://rjleaman.com Rebecca Leaman

“Is that good business?”
Good point, Amber. I’m with @usegraymatter on the need to draw our own boundaries, but there are a few realities of the business world that come into play here too. For example, for those of us freelancers who deal with clients in different time zones around the world – who *choose* to deal with clients in different time zones – it’s a business necessity to respect that our client may be facing a very real and very urgent crisis just when we’re shuffling off to have a late dinner. If this occurs within the client’s normal working day, and we’ve signed on to be part of their business team… then it’s neither bad manners nor an inappropriate pushing of boundaries, for the client to expect us to be on deck, I’d suggest: just an unfortunate side-effect of a global economy. Social chit-chat, however… that’s where a sanity-saving line in the sand can (and perhaps should) be drawn.
http://www.denisbhancock.com Denis Hancock

It’s interesting that on issues of speed / connectivity, most people seem to jump into the work/life balance question. Personally I’ve never had a problem with this – my family time is extended shut-off time, no ifs, ands or buts – but I face a constant struggle with simple “work balance” – what I do during my “standard” work time.

While like many people I amazed at the richness of information floating around out there, when I’m trying to do my own work – develop a new idea, create a different POV, etc. – I need to shut absolutely everything off. My train of thought gets too broken up with the constant flow of tweets, emails, etc. Heck, half the time I’ll even turn my computer off, working with just a pencil and a piece of blank paper can be liberating. But finding the right balance between shut-off / connected time remains a challenge, and I suspect it always will be.

I sort of re-learned the value of shut-off time last year when I went back to school for 8 months – seeing the contrast between how my thoughts developed in a library cubicle for 4 hours vs. on my laptop. I suspect that most people deeply immersed in the world of social media might find they have MORE interesting things to contribute to it if they shut off for awhile, every single day, to simply reflect on what they’ve been working on.
http://www.denisbhancock.com Denis Hancock

It’s interesting that on issues of speed / connectivity, most people seem to jump into the work/life balance question. Personally I’ve never had a problem with this – my family time is extended shut-off time, no ifs, ands or buts – but I face a constant struggle with simple “work balance” – what I do during my “standard” work time.

While like many people I amazed at the richness of information floating around out there, when I’m trying to do my own work – develop a new idea, create a different POV, etc. – I need to shut absolutely everything off. My train of thought gets too broken up with the constant flow of tweets, emails, etc. Heck, half the time I’ll even turn my computer off, working with just a pencil and a piece of blank paper can be liberating. But finding the right balance between shut-off / connected time remains a challenge, and I suspect it always will be.

I sort of re-learned the value of shut-off time last year when I went back to school for 8 months – seeing the contrast between how my thoughts developed in a library cubicle for 4 hours vs. on my laptop. I suspect that most people deeply immersed in the world of social media might find they have MORE interesting things to contribute to it if they shut off for awhile, every single day, to simply reflect on what they’ve been working on.
http://rjleaman.com rjleaman

“Is that good business?”
Good point, Amber. I’m with @usegraymatter on the need to draw our own boundaries, but there are a few realities of the business world that come into play here too. For example, for those of us freelancers who deal with clients in different time zones around the world – who *choose* to deal with clients in different time zones – it’s a business necessity to respect that our client may be facing a very real and very urgent crisis just when we’re shuffling off to have a late dinner. If this occurs within the client’s normal working day, and we’ve signed on to be part of their business team… then it’s neither bad manners nor an inappropriate pushing of boundaries, for the client to expect us to be on deck, I’d suggest: just an unfortunate side-effect of a global economy. Social chit-chat, however… that’s where a sanity-saving line in the sand can (and perhaps should) be drawn.
http://www.denisbhancock.com Denis Hancock

It’s interesting that on issues of speed / connectivity, most people seem to jump into the work/life balance question. Personally I’ve never had a problem with this – my family time is extended shut-off time, no ifs, ands or buts – but I face a constant struggle with simple “work balance” – what I do during my “standard” work time.

While like many people I amazed at the richness of information floating around out there, when I’m trying to do my own work – develop a new idea, create a different POV, etc. – I need to shut absolutely everything off. My train of thought gets too broken up with the constant flow of tweets, emails, etc. Heck, half the time I’ll even turn my computer off, working with just a pencil and a piece of blank paper can be liberating. But finding the right balance between shut-off / connected time remains a challenge, and I suspect it always will be.

I sort of re-learned the value of shut-off time last year when I went back to school for 8 months – seeing the contrast between how my thoughts developed in a library cubicle for 4 hours vs. on my laptop. I suspect that most people deeply immersed in the world of social media might find they have MORE interesting things to contribute to it if they shut off for awhile, every single day, to simply reflect on what they’ve been working on.
http://www.thecisource.com Ellen Naylor

I think balance and setting expectations are key, and only you can decide on that for yourself, and it depends on the project, the customer…and let’s face it these are tough economic times. The social networking frenzy is only escalating as different social networks come into vogue and we can get distracted from our work and our family work by being a slave to social networks. One thing I do is take an electronic day off each week, usually on Sunday’s and do I ever relax! I don’t check email, and only take the Blackberry along for an emergency phone call if we get injured while skiing. It stays off otherwise: no peeking. I’ll admit that was tough for me at first: now I look forward to it since I catch up with my family and reading. I never watch TV and don’t think I miss anything. All the important stuff comes through social media/Internet. Witness you can watch the inauguration tomorrow on Facebook.
http://www.thecisource.com Ellen Naylor

I think balance and setting expectations are key, and only you can decide on that for yourself, and it depends on the project, the customer…and let’s face it these are tough economic times. The social networking frenzy is only escalating as different social networks come into vogue and we can get distracted from our work and our family work by being a slave to social networks. One thing I do is take an electronic day off each week, usually on Sunday’s and do I ever relax! I don’t check email, and only take the Blackberry along for an emergency phone call if we get injured while skiing. It stays off otherwise: no peeking. I’ll admit that was tough for me at first: now I look forward to it since I catch up with my family and reading. I never watch TV and don’t think I miss anything. All the important stuff comes through social media/Internet. Witness you can watch the inauguration tomorrow on Facebook.
http://www.thecisource.com Ellen Naylor

I think balance and setting expectations are key, and only you can decide on that for yourself, and it depends on the project, the customer…and let’s face it these are tough economic times. The social networking frenzy is only escalating as different social networks come into vogue and we can get distracted from our work and our family work by being a slave to social networks. One thing I do is take an electronic day off each week, usually on Sunday’s and do I ever relax! I don’t check email, and only take the Blackberry along for an emergency phone call if we get injured while skiing. It stays off otherwise: no peeking. I’ll admit that was tough for me at first: now I look forward to it since I catch up with my family and reading. I never watch TV and don’t think I miss anything. All the important stuff comes through social media/Internet. Witness you can watch the inauguration tomorrow on Facebook.
Sam Butler

Managing expectations — yours and others — is a big part of it. When you deal with the same people regularly, it can be easier to manage the expectation that, indeed, you are made of flesh & blood and you do sleep, and, sure, you like spending time with your wife & kids. (Although you still have the random person who thinks everything they send is High Priority. I worked with someone like that. For some reason I never noticed her e-mails; maybe because I set up a filter rule to move them into a folder that I scanned twice a day. She eventually figured out that her stuff wasn’t the most important thing in the company.)

In my experience, other people who truly live in the 24×7 (or 24×5.5×52 in my case) bubble tend to understand that sometimes you need to just be unavailable especially for the less then cataclysmic issues. And if you’re dealing with those kinds of issues, having a trusted peer in another timezone makes life much easier for all. It’s the people who don’t understand, and who you don’t deal with regularly that can be a pain.
Sam Butler

Managing expectations — yours and others — is a big part of it. When you deal with the same people regularly, it can be easier to manage the expectation that, indeed, you are made of flesh & blood and you do sleep, and, sure, you like spending time with your wife & kids. (Although you still have the random person who thinks everything they send is High Priority. I worked with someone like that. For some reason I never noticed her e-mails; maybe because I set up a filter rule to move them into a folder that I scanned twice a day. She eventually figured out that her stuff wasn’t the most important thing in the company.)

In my experience, other people who truly live in the 24×7 (or 24×5.5×52 in my case) bubble tend to understand that sometimes you need to just be unavailable especially for the less then cataclysmic issues. And if you’re dealing with those kinds of issues, having a trusted peer in another timezone makes life much easier for all. It’s the people who don’t understand, and who you don’t deal with regularly that can be a pain.
Sam Butler

Managing expectations — yours and others — is a big part of it. When you deal with the same people regularly, it can be easier to manage the expectation that, indeed, you are made of flesh & blood and you do sleep, and, sure, you like spending time with your wife & kids. (Although you still have the random person who thinks everything they send is High Priority. I worked with someone like that. For some reason I never noticed her e-mails; maybe because I set up a filter rule to move them into a folder that I scanned twice a day. She eventually figured out that her stuff wasn’t the most important thing in the company.)

In my experience, other people who truly live in the 24×7 (or 24×5.5×52 in my case) bubble tend to understand that sometimes you need to just be unavailable especially for the less then cataclysmic issues. And if you’re dealing with those kinds of issues, having a trusted peer in another timezone makes life much easier for all. It’s the people who don’t understand, and who you don’t deal with regularly that can be a pain.
http://www.suzemuse.ca Susan Murphy

Though I do agree that there is a price to pay for “putting yourself out there” as it were, I also think that there’s a certain amount of common courtesy that is going unchecked these days.

Providing ways for people to connect is an essential part of social media. Those who are willing to be open to receiving phone calls, texts, emails, Twitter DMs, and who are actively responding to those who reach out are living proof of how this medium is supposed to work.

HOWEVER.

You wouldn’t hand your card out to someone at an event, then walk back up to them 10 minutes later and ask them why they haven’t called you yet. What makes this medium any different?

The expectation that ANYONE, no matter how popular they are or aren’t, is going to a) acknowledge you immediately b) acknowledge you EVERY single time you contact them or c) reply immediately with solutions to all your problems is not only unrealistic, it’s also just plain rude.

Do we set the expectation for how people demand of our time? Certainly, we have some control over that. But my rule of thumb is, give people the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is busy. Everyone must prioritize. Just because what you are connecting about is important to you, doesn’t mean it’s at the top of everyone else’s list. My advice is to back off. The things that are supposed to happen will happen in time. But honestly ain’t going to happen any faster (if at all) if you are continually beating down the door.
http://www.suzemuse.ca Susan Murphy

Though I do agree that there is a price to pay for “putting yourself out there” as it were, I also think that there’s a certain amount of common courtesy that is going unchecked these days.

Providing ways for people to connect is an essential part of social media. Those who are willing to be open to receiving phone calls, texts, emails, Twitter DMs, and who are actively responding to those who reach out are living proof of how this medium is supposed to work.

HOWEVER.

You wouldn’t hand your card out to someone at an event, then walk back up to them 10 minutes later and ask them why they haven’t called you yet. What makes this medium any different?

The expectation that ANYONE, no matter how popular they are or aren’t, is going to a) acknowledge you immediately b) acknowledge you EVERY single time you contact them or c) reply immediately with solutions to all your problems is not only unrealistic, it’s also just plain rude.

Do we set the expectation for how people demand of our time? Certainly, we have some control over that. But my rule of thumb is, give people the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is busy. Everyone must prioritize. Just because what you are connecting about is important to you, doesn’t mean it’s at the top of everyone else’s list. My advice is to back off. The things that are supposed to happen will happen in time. But honestly ain’t going to happen any faster (if at all) if you are continually beating down the door.
http://www.suzemuse.ca Susan Murphy

Though I do agree that there is a price to pay for “putting yourself out there” as it were, I also think that there’s a certain amount of common courtesy that is going unchecked these days.

Providing ways for people to connect is an essential part of social media. Those who are willing to be open to receiving phone calls, texts, emails, Twitter DMs, and who are actively responding to those who reach out are living proof of how this medium is supposed to work.

HOWEVER.

You wouldn’t hand your card out to someone at an event, then walk back up to them 10 minutes later and ask them why they haven’t called you yet. What makes this medium any different?

The expectation that ANYONE, no matter how popular they are or aren’t, is going to a) acknowledge you immediately b) acknowledge you EVERY single time you contact them or c) reply immediately with solutions to all your problems is not only unrealistic, it’s also just plain rude.

Do we set the expectation for how people demand of our time? Certainly, we have some control over that. But my rule of thumb is, give people the benefit of the doubt. Everyone is busy. Everyone must prioritize. Just because what you are connecting about is important to you, doesn’t mean it’s at the top of everyone else’s list. My advice is to back off. The things that are supposed to happen will happen in time. But honestly ain’t going to happen any faster (if at all) if you are continually beating down the door.
Sam Butler

I work around the clock, on many holidays, etc, but I try to balance. The ‘Cat and the Cradle’ song / meme is one that goes through my head. Funny that Laurie mentioned it above. :) My hobbies & interests are neglected these days. It’s either work, or my kid. But that’s the choice I make.

And I agree whole heartedly rjleaman: if what you do is very timely (like a biz where minutes of downtime could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or worse), and involves clients or customers in other timezones, then that’s just the nature of the beast. But giving yourself downtime becomes more important. If you aren’t working on anything urgent, take some time off. Go to a park. (Sure, take your laptop, but don’t open it.) For me, I won’t check my e-mails. I keep an ear out for calls or txts, but that’s it. I don’t go out looking for work; it will still be there when I get back.

Speaking of which, I need to go get ready for lunch with my daughter. Unplugging….. now! :)
Sam Butler

I work around the clock, on many holidays, etc, but I try to balance. The ‘Cat and the Cradle’ song / meme is one that goes through my head. Funny that Laurie mentioned it above. :) My hobbies & interests are neglected these days. It’s either work, or my kid. But that’s the choice I make.

And I agree whole heartedly rjleaman: if what you do is very timely (like a biz where minutes of downtime could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or worse), and involves clients or customers in other timezones, then that’s just the nature of the beast. But giving yourself downtime becomes more important. If you aren’t working on anything urgent, take some time off. Go to a park. (Sure, take your laptop, but don’t open it.) For me, I won’t check my e-mails. I keep an ear out for calls or txts, but that’s it. I don’t go out looking for work; it will still be there when I get back.

Speaking of which, I need to go get ready for lunch with my daughter. Unplugging….. now! :)
Sam Butler

I work around the clock, on many holidays, etc, but I try to balance. The ‘Cat and the Cradle’ song / meme is one that goes through my head. Funny that Laurie mentioned it above. :) My hobbies & interests are neglected these days. It’s either work, or my kid. But that’s the choice I make.

And I agree whole heartedly rjleaman: if what you do is very timely (like a biz where minutes of downtime could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or worse), and involves clients or customers in other timezones, then that’s just the nature of the beast. But giving yourself downtime becomes more important. If you aren’t working on anything urgent, take some time off. Go to a park. (Sure, take your laptop, but don’t open it.) For me, I won’t check my e-mails. I keep an ear out for calls or txts, but that’s it. I don’t go out looking for work; it will still be there when I get back.

Speaking of which, I need to go get ready for lunch with my daughter. Unplugging….. now! :)
Lisa Jenkins

I like the tethered interface, but sometimes feel like the technology is managing me instead of the other way around. Lately, I’ve made a conscious effort to extend a “work week” response time expectation to any query I send. If I send it on a Saturday, I don’t look a response until Monday; and I try to allow for a 24hr gap during the week. If I receive a more prompt reply – WOOT for me!
Lisa Jenkins

I like the tethered interface, but sometimes feel like the technology is managing me instead of the other way around. Lately, I’ve made a conscious effort to extend a “work week” response time expectation to any query I send. If I send it on a Saturday, I don’t look a response until Monday; and I try to allow for a 24hr gap during the week. If I receive a more prompt reply – WOOT for me!
Lisa Jenkins

I like the tethered interface, but sometimes feel like the technology is managing me instead of the other way around. Lately, I’ve made a conscious effort to extend a “work week” response time expectation to any query I send. If I send it on a Saturday, I don’t look a response until Monday; and I try to allow for a 24hr gap during the week. If I receive a more prompt reply – WOOT for me!
http://candidkatie.com Katie Morse

BRAVO! My personal rule for both sending and acting on received correspondence is to give the person (or myself) 48 hours to respond. I do my best to respond in less than 48 hours, but if it’s not possible I will pick up the phone or send another form of communication to let them know their message is on my radar and give a more appropriate timeframe to expect a response.

In the case of sending communications, I make the assumption that the person I’m trying to reach is busy, and does in fact have priorities outside of my own communication.

One of my customers (internal) in a previous role would regularly send me an e-mail, then an IM to make sure the e-mail delivered. If I didn’t respond immediately to either of those I could expect a phone call on my office line, followed by my cell if I didn’t pick my office line up in time.

Being on 5-7 hours of conference calls/day (on average) meant that much of my work was done after normal business hours, and my working hours responses were limited to items I could easily knock out, or didn’t require me to jump off the phone to chase someone down.

It never affected my quality or timing of work, but it did affect my frustration levels when an e-mail would arrive – instant stress.

To me, the time “crunch” comes down to respect. I respect my colleages and business contacts enough to know they are wonderfully brilliant people, who becuase of that brilliance are very pressed for time. It may not be that simple to everyone else I’m around, but it is for me.
http://twitter.com/misskatiemo Katie Morse

BRAVO! My personal rule for both sending and acting on received correspondence is to give the person (or myself) 48 hours to respond. I do my best to respond in less than 48 hours, but if it’s not possible I will pick up the phone or send another form of communication to let them know their message is on my radar and give a more appropriate timeframe to expect a response.

In the case of sending communications, I make the assumption that the person I’m trying to reach is busy, and does in fact have priorities outside of my own communication.

One of my customers (internal) in a previous role would regularly send me an e-mail, then an IM to make sure the e-mail delivered. If I didn’t respond immediately to either of those I could expect a phone call on my office line, followed by my cell if I didn’t pick my office line up in time.

Being on 5-7 hours of conference calls/day (on average) meant that much of my work was done after normal business hours, and my working hours responses were limited to items I could easily knock out, or didn’t require me to jump off the phone to chase someone down.

It never affected my quality or timing of work, but it did affect my frustration levels when an e-mail would arrive – instant stress.

To me, the time “crunch” comes down to respect. I respect my colleages and business contacts enough to know they are wonderfully brilliant people, who becuase of that brilliance are very pressed for time. It may not be that simple to everyone else I’m around, but it is for me.
http://www.manorimoney.com Manori Money

I agree, we have to set our own boudries, so people can learn and respect them.
http://www.manorimoney.com Manori Money

I agree, we have to set our own boudries, so people can learn and respect them.
http://www.manorimoney.com Manori Money

I agree, we have to set our own boudries, so people can learn and respect them.
http://www.thestrump.com TStrump

I think we all need to slow down a bit plus there are too many social media sites to keep track of!
I’ve lost count of the different ways I keep contact with people.
I remember the old days (before I even had a cell) when I would leave a message on someone’s voice mail and they would call me back and do the same.
http://www.thestrump.com TStrump

I think we all need to slow down a bit plus there are too many social media sites to keep track of!
I’ve lost count of the different ways I keep contact with people.
I remember the old days (before I even had a cell) when I would leave a message on someone’s voice mail and they would call me back and do the same.
http://www.thestrump.com TStrump

I think we all need to slow down a bit plus there are too many social media sites to keep track of!
I’ve lost count of the different ways I keep contact with people.
I remember the old days (before I even had a cell) when I would leave a message on someone’s voice mail and they would call me back and do the same.
http://blog.budgetpulse.com/ Craig

With the increase in technology and the fast paced world we live in today, people expect responses right away. No longer waiting, because waiting can slow them down, it’s tough, but that’s the world we live in today.
http://blog.budgetpulse.com/ Craig

With the increase in technology and the fast paced world we live in today, people expect responses right away. No longer waiting, because waiting can slow them down, it’s tough, but that’s the world we live in today.
http://blog.budgetpulse.com/ Craig

With the increase in technology and the fast paced world we live in today, people expect responses right away. No longer waiting, because waiting can slow them down, it’s tough, but that’s the world we live in today.
http://donotreadthisblogunless.blogspot.com/ Nicholas Chase

Chris,

Considering how little ‘productivity returns’ we get from time spent with email, twitter, Facebook etc an enormous amount of time is wasted that could be put to better use.

Yes, Twitter has placed my gentle helpful message in front of influential people, who have responded with free passes to trade shows and potential profits down the line, but I still have to get off my backside and execute!

I enjoy reading all of the success stories of people including yourself, but those are precisely that, your success stories! I need to get out there and create a success story of my own.

Whether PPC, CPA, CPM, CPA, blogging for dollars, or writing articles for pay, it all boils down to output, output, output on a consistent basis and for an extended period of time. Have I felt like quitting, sure, a few times during the day when I pause from activities to just let my mind wander on how the ‘internet lifestyle’ may one day be mine.

Truthfully, wearing all of the hats in an online company requires so much time and maintenance that I just collapse in a heap after 14 hours of work. If I had sufficient know-how to make a quick buck, i still would not persue that path as my reputation means more to me than a few dollars.

One day I will meet you again, and hopefully have a success story to tell, if not, no tears from me, I gave it my best shot until the unemployment checks ran out.

Respectfully,

Nicholas Chase
http://www.twitter.com/nachase
http://donotreadthisblogunless.blogspot.com/ Nicholas Chase

Chris,

Considering how little ‘productivity returns’ we get from time spent with email, twitter, Facebook etc an enormous amount of time is wasted that could be put to better use.

Yes, Twitter has placed my gentle helpful message in front of influential people, who have responded with free passes to trade shows and potential profits down the line, but I still have to get off my backside and execute!

I enjoy reading all of the success stories of people including yourself, but those are precisely that, your success stories! I need to get out there and create a success story of my own.

Whether PPC, CPA, CPM, CPA, blogging for dollars, or writing articles for pay, it all boils down to output, output, output on a consistent basis and for an extended period of time. Have I felt like quitting, sure, a few times during the day when I pause from activities to just let my mind wander on how the ‘internet lifestyle’ may one day be mine.

Truthfully, wearing all of the hats in an online company requires so much time and maintenance that I just collapse in a heap after 14 hours of work. If I had sufficient know-how to make a quick buck, i still would not persue that path as my reputation means more to me than a few dollars.

One day I will meet you again, and hopefully have a success story to tell, if not, no tears from me, I gave it my best shot until the unemployment checks ran out.

Respectfully,

Nicholas Chase
http://www.twitter.com/nachase
http://donotreadthisblogunless.blogspot.com/ Nicholas Chase

Chris,

Considering how little ‘productivity returns’ we get from time spent with email, twitter, Facebook etc an enormous amount of time is wasted that could be put to better use.

Yes, Twitter has placed my gentle helpful message in front of influential people, who have responded with free passes to trade shows and potential profits down the line, but I still have to get off my backside and execute!

I enjoy reading all of the success stories of people including yourself, but those are precisely that, your success stories! I need to get out there and create a success story of my own.

Whether PPC, CPA, CPM, CPA, blogging for dollars, or writing articles for pay, it all boils down to output, output, output on a consistent basis and for an extended period of time. Have I felt like quitting, sure, a few times during the day when I pause from activities to just let my mind wander on how the ‘internet lifestyle’ may one day be mine.

Truthfully, wearing all of the hats in an online company requires so much time and maintenance that I just collapse in a heap after 14 hours of work. If I had sufficient know-how to make a quick buck, i still would not persue that path as my reputation means more to me than a few dollars.

One day I will meet you again, and hopefully have a success story to tell, if not, no tears from me, I gave it my best shot until the unemployment checks ran out.

Respectfully,

Nicholas Chase
http://www.twitter.com/nachase
http://www.frankthinking.com Frank Reed

@ChrisBrogan We have to face that there will never be an Internet Etiquette Regulatory Commission. Based on that we all need to set up the appropriate boundaries and let them be known rather than bemoaning how intrusive the world has become (which happened only because we voluntarily invited them in, which in and of itself, is our fault).

We all need to figure out what works and tell folks. Don’t expect them to listen though, that’s just how the world works. Any expectation of the masses suddenly turning respectful of each other’s time is polly-annish.

As for me I am open from 9 am – 5 pm EST M-F for all types of interaction. After 5 pm there will be intermittent response based on what my family is up to.
http://www.frankthinking.com Frank Reed

@ChrisBrogan We have to face that there will never be an Internet Etiquette Regulatory Commission. Based on that we all need to set up the appropriate boundaries and let them be known rather than bemoaning how intrusive the world has become (which happened only because we voluntarily invited them in, which in and of itself, is our fault).

We all need to figure out what works and tell folks. Don’t expect them to listen though, that’s just how the world works. Any expectation of the masses suddenly turning respectful of each other’s time is polly-annish.

As for me I am open from 9 am – 5 pm EST M-F for all types of interaction. After 5 pm there will be intermittent response based on what my family is up to.
http://www.frankthinking.com Frank Reed

@ChrisBrogan We have to face that there will never be an Internet Etiquette Regulatory Commission. Based on that we all need to set up the appropriate boundaries and let them be known rather than bemoaning how intrusive the world has become (which happened only because we voluntarily invited them in, which in and of itself, is our fault).

We all need to figure out what works and tell folks. Don’t expect them to listen though, that’s just how the world works. Any expectation of the masses suddenly turning respectful of each other’s time is polly-annish.

As for me I am open from 9 am – 5 pm EST M-F for all types of interaction. After 5 pm there will be intermittent response based on what my family is up to.
http://igreenbaum.com Kurt Greenbaum

Wow, this is a great topic. I’m guilty of doing it myself. And you’re right. We’re all moving too darned fast. This makes me think of that Mark Twain anecdote about how he had the phone installed for his convenience, not that of other people. In other words, he answered it when he wanted to, and used it to make calls. He was as reachable as he wanted to be. Also comes to mind from @J. M. Strother’s comment about the Blackberry. I love my PDA — but I love it because it lets me manage my time and take care of work in the margins of my day — so I don’t have as much waiting for me when I’m back in the office.
http://igreenbaum.com Kurt Greenbaum

Wow, this is a great topic. I’m guilty of doing it myself. And you’re right. We’re all moving too darned fast. This makes me think of that Mark Twain anecdote about how he had the phone installed for his convenience, not that of other people. In other words, he answered it when he wanted to, and used it to make calls. He was as reachable as he wanted to be. Also comes to mind from @J. M. Strother’s comment about the Blackberry. I love my PDA — but I love it because it lets me manage my time and take care of work in the margins of my day — so I don’t have as much waiting for me when I’m back in the office.
http://igreenbaum.com Kurt Greenbaum

Wow, this is a great topic. I’m guilty of doing it myself. And you’re right. We’re all moving too darned fast. This makes me think of that Mark Twain anecdote about how he had the phone installed for his convenience, not that of other people. In other words, he answered it when he wanted to, and used it to make calls. He was as reachable as he wanted to be. Also comes to mind from @J. M. Strother’s comment about the Blackberry. I love my PDA — but I love it because it lets me manage my time and take care of work in the margins of my day — so I don’t have as much waiting for me when I’m back in the office.
http://byscoachrob.com Not THAT Rob Thomas

GREAT POST CHRIS. You have helped me realize the same in your article. I am going to “slow it”. I have often wanted to unplug because of this but all I really need to do is assert control.
http://byscoachrob.com Not THAT Rob Thomas

GREAT POST CHRIS. You have helped me realize the same in your article. I am going to “slow it”. I have often wanted to unplug because of this but all I really need to do is assert control.
http://byscoachrob.com Not THAT Rob Thomas

GREAT POST CHRIS. You have helped me realize the same in your article. I am going to “slow it”. I have often wanted to unplug because of this but all I really need to do is assert control.
http://www.theroadgoeson.blogsome.com Eric

This sure is a lively discussion. I think we need to stop and use some common sense though. Anyone ever tried not to reply to email? They will eventually just stop if you ignore them. Just have to be selective. As for texting and twittering; try ringing you neigbours door bell 15 times a day and see if you can get away with it without being smacked over the head. All just common sense. You are not as irreplacable and important as you think either. Other people can actually make decisions without you, but not if you keep twittering them back ;-)
http://www.theroadgoeson.blogsome.com Eric

This sure is a lively discussion. I think we need to stop and use some common sense though. Anyone ever tried not to reply to email? They will eventually just stop if you ignore them. Just have to be selective. As for texting and twittering; try ringing you neigbours door bell 15 times a day and see if you can get away with it without being smacked over the head. All just common sense. You are not as irreplacable and important as you think either. Other people can actually make decisions without you, but not if you keep twittering them back ;-)
http://www.theroadgoeson.blogsome.com Eric

This sure is a lively discussion. I think we need to stop and use some common sense though. Anyone ever tried not to reply to email? They will eventually just stop if you ignore them. Just have to be selective. As for texting and twittering; try ringing you neigbours door bell 15 times a day and see if you can get away with it without being smacked over the head. All just common sense. You are not as irreplacable and important as you think either. Other people can actually make decisions without you, but not if you keep twittering them back ;-)
http://www.marketingmarshall.com Elizabeth Marshall

Well said, Chris. And, kudos to bringing up a topic that many seem to be thinking about (but not discussing) in this public forum.

Although the pace of communication is certainly something for us to consider, I think it’s the expectation part that really sets us up for a variety of unintended consequences. For example, Don Miguel Ruiz’s talks about the importance of not making assumptions in his powerful book, The Four Agreements. Because of the lightening pace of communication, we as a collective seem to “assume” that our email/DM didn’t go through, that the recipient must be ignoring us, or that “there must be something wrong” if we don’t get a response in the time that we assume to be “normal.”

As a result of those individual and collective expectations, it’s only inevitable that our minds will come up with all sorts of reasons as to why we don’t have a response – most of which are not accurate or even remotely true. Yet, as a result of those assumptions, we err on the side of pushy, demanding and sometimes obnoxious behavior just to pacify those fears or worries that come up when we assume or wonder why we haven’t received a response.

As a willing participant in the Twitter-verse and online reality, I am sure I’ve been guilty of this. Hey, I am not perfect – nor is anyone else online. But, I do think the lack of awareness about how unrealistic our expectations can be might set the stage for damaged relationships and reputations if we don’t tweak our expectations and give people the benefit of the doubt.

Be Realistic About Time

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

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