Save time, be asynchronous with your communication

As you keep getting busy, you have to figure out ways to free yourself to get even more busy.

I always love interacting with engineering students (engineering career is one of the few things I know a bit about). After my presentations, I love to keep in touch with them so that they can make use of me later as well (though less than 5% do this).

The point is — I used to give all touch-points to me including my phone number, email, social media handles etc. As my life started panning out, I became more involved with my startup, travel, IEEE and personal life. I started hating phone calls. (synchronous communication).

The biggest problem with Synch comm is that, it is making you stop whatever you are doing and forcing you to take a detour at somebody else’s convenience. If you are already in too many things, the last thing which will blow your head off would be a phone call. I’m not too much of a rhythm person. I believe I can handle multiple tasks and still continue to do what I have been doing. Even for people like me, studies prove that, every time you are thrown out of your focus, it takes time and effort to get back focused. On top of everything, we leave our phones on the next table and we are on our work table.. aaarghhh.. Hate it!!!

My phone number is still public (people who really want, would get it), but I don’t project it on my slides any more.(but I give to anyone who asks me). I started encouraging everyone to reach me over Asynchronous communication like emails, chats, messages, whatsapps. I have committed myself to reply to each of these messages, even if it means I sleep an hour less. So all rational messages reaching me anywhere would still get a reply, but I reply at my convenience. This helps me to focus on my work when I’m needed there and do the side things at my convenience.

PS: If you encourage people to email or whatsapp you, don’t use it as a tactic to escape from the moment, just try your best to respond.

Everyone needs to spend some time on phone, a necessary evil. So as a thumb rule, anybody whom I consider busier than me or for the cases where I seek help, I don’t butt in with phone calls. I try emails, chats, whatsapp or messages before I call. I plan it early and in such a way that I leave them their space for responding at their convenience. I have figured out that people appreciate it. They understand that I respect their time and will start respecting my time in return.

As you start growing busy, if you are going wild with so many things, and are trying to figure out how to get out of the thousand things around you, first thing is to get out of unwanted calls. This will free up your time, mind space to focus where you are really wanted.