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David Burn
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1 year ago
in An Issue of Character on The Toad Stool by Alan Wolk
Email from a colleague or friend is different. I'm talking about email from or to strangers.
1 reply
1 year ago
in An Issue of Character on The Toad Stool by Alan Wolk
I think it's a reflection on email as much as it is on the person or company. Email can't be counted on. You never know if it arrived for one. Plus it's all too easy to avoid. I scan mine, which is chock full of pitches and junk, despite the filters. I've also found that if I don't reply at once, it's gone. Yet, I can't just stop everything and respond. And the more one responds, the more email one must manage. It's a vicious cycle.
1 reply
Alan Wolk
Well David, I once was an email sinner like you. But then I saw the
light. It came in the form of a former CD of mine, Greg Ketchum. Greg
would respond to every email, even if it was just to say "thanks" (if
you'd sent him some pdfs or copy changes or something) and he most
always gave you a time frame if he was not going to be able to get to
something. One day a bunch of us got to talking and we all agreed how
good it made us feel that Greg did that, and how much every single
person in that room appreciated it. Ever since, I've done my best to
respond to emails right away, using the same parameters he did - e.g.
if I was going to be traveling that day, I'd thank the person, explain
about the traveling and how that meant I'd likely not be able to give
a thoughtful response until that evening.
It admittedly took a bit of self-discipline at first (kind of like
getting up early to work out) but the Ketchum Method is now second
nature and it takes much less time and effort than you'd think.
(Though fwiw, I've always found you to be very good about returning
email, Mr. Burn.)
light. It came in the form of a former CD of mine, Greg Ketchum. Greg
would respond to every email, even if it was just to say "thanks" (if
you'd sent him some pdfs or copy changes or something) and he most
always gave you a time frame if he was not going to be able to get to
something. One day a bunch of us got to talking and we all agreed how
good it made us feel that Greg did that, and how much every single
person in that room appreciated it. Ever since, I've done my best to
respond to emails right away, using the same parameters he did - e.g.
if I was going to be traveling that day, I'd thank the person, explain
about the traveling and how that meant I'd likely not be able to give
a thoughtful response until that evening.
It admittedly took a bit of self-discipline at first (kind of like
getting up early to work out) but the Ketchum Method is now second
nature and it takes much less time and effort than you'd think.
(Though fwiw, I've always found you to be very good about returning
email, Mr. Burn.)
1 year ago
in Twitter Goes Mainstream on The Toad Stool by Alan Wolk
It's a well written piece of lifestyle journalism with more than one "in the know" reference. The writing is conversational and delivered in first person. It's almost blog-like. As for Twitter, and it's addicts, I hope no one lumps us together and labels us smug.
2 replies
Alan Wolk
David- Style section's been running a bunch of those first-person
essays. It is well-written, just off-base, in my opinion-- the slam on
Slopies (and denizens of similar communities) is all about the
perceived "I am clearly leading the perfect life and how could anyone
be as stupid as to not realize that" attitude, e.g. smugness, which
seems to have gone untouched in the essay.
essays. It is well-written, just off-base, in my opinion-- the slam on
Slopies (and denizens of similar communities) is all about the
perceived "I am clearly leading the perfect life and how could anyone
be as stupid as to not realize that" attitude, e.g. smugness, which
seems to have gone untouched in the essay.
Todd W.
No one labels us as smug? I think that's exactly the intent. The "twittering" classes" as described in the article are in their own little hip echo chamber and disconnected from reality. Far from legitimizing Twitter, the usage of the term here is marginalizing.
than Spam.) But if it's someone I might someday know (friend of a
friend or potential future business partner) then I apply to Ketchum
Method.
But to turn this around-- shouldn't a company consider its customers
to be less-than-strangers and make replying to them a priority?