"A message prepared in the mindSome of us may remember the days of busy signals and no voicemail options. There were times when if a human being did not connect with you, there was not a way to get a message to someone until the next call or the next day.
reaches a mind; a message prepared in
a life reaches a life."
~ Bill Gothard, American Clergy, b. 1934
We have come a long way!! Still, with the technological advancements, we have gone backwards in some ways with our communication…in particular when it comes to messages for people.
With caller ID and immediacy in mind, often people do not even leave messages when calling anymore. Similarly, people often return calls without listening to a message if one is left.
Please leave a message if you want someone to return your call (instead of assuming that person saw your number and knows to call). And, when you leave your message, let the person know what you are seeking (rather than “Hey, it’s Debbie, give me a call”). This is a consideration of the person’s time, and if done well (with name, number, message, name and number), the person can return the call, and if s/he gets your voicemail, can answer your question and end the seemingly ever-lasting phone-tag that fills a lot of our to-do lists!
Likewise, if you are returning a call, please do listen to the person’s message before calling. This is a courtesy to that person, and, you can answer his/her question and you could end the seemingly ever-lasting phone-tag that fills a lot of our to-do lists!
So, while we get frustrated by not reaching someone, it could be worse, we could be hearing the wonk-wonk-wonk of a busy signal, or incessant ringing! Leave a message…listen to your messages. Having the ability to leave a message and communicate something is a great opportunity for each of us…failing to take advantage of it is not respectful of the technology or either person’s time!
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