The ringing of the phone is the voice of
a time tyrant. Do a declaration of independence from the tyranny and use your
phone for your purposes, and not vice versa. For some, the telephone becomes
a kind of addiction. Each call injects a sense of momentary self-importance.
The more jolts the better! It is like an addiction. But for more of us the phone
is a time waster of monumental proportion.
Here are some of the many reasons the phone
seizes control of us and some ideas about how you can take control.
Why the phone seizes control
of us:
We want to be well informed – The
phone is a major source of both formal and informal information. We take calls
because we are afraid of not getting information we need.
We do not want to offend others –
Not taking a call is considered an insult to the caller and we do not want
to insult others.
It is a call so it must be legitimate
– We give each call the benefit of doubt and presume the call is legitimate
and demands our attention.
We like to socialize – Some people
turn each call into a social visit. And a social visit can be a lot more fun
than working.
Calls help us avoid unpleasant tasks –
Telephone interruptions can be a handy excuse. If those tasks are important,
however, such avoidance is a trap.
Ego. Ego, and more ego. Getting calls
inflates our sense of importance, but at the expense of our performance.
