6 Times You Still Need to Use the Phone at Work and in the Office - The Muse

6 Times You Still Need to Use the Phone at Work and in the Office - The Muse6 Times You Still Need to Use the Phone at Work and in the OfficeThe other day, I emailed a colleague with a few questions and received the response, Im mora of a phone person- can you call me about this?I have to say, I was a little shocked.Its not often that you meet someone who prefers picking up the phone to conduct business. Given the choice, Id guess a majority of employees in the typical workplace would choose email over a phone call any day. And it makes sense Email is quick, efficient, and doesnt carry the chance of awkward silences or distracting background noise. But despite the overwhelming preference for email, there are a few situations that just work better when you pick up the phone.1. Its UrgentAbout 60% of people wait two full days to reply to a work-related email. So if you send an email that needs a response ASAP- even with a subject line that includes, Urgent- theres a good chance youll b e left refreshing your inbox over and over for the next 48 hours, crossing your fingers for a reply.On the other hand, making a phone call about an critical matter can help you convey a sense of urgency, make sure the other person knows exactly what he or she needs to do, and answer any questions without resorting to a never-ending email chain. By the time you hang up, you can be confident that everyone is on the same page and understands what needs to happen to address the issue.2. Youre Not Getting a ResponseMaybe you emailed a request that isnt exactly urgent, but at some point, you do need a response- and after a few days of silence, youre getting antsy. There are only so many times you can urge the request along with another email that says, Hey, just wanted to follow up on this- have you had a chance to look at it? If you dont receive a reply after the original email and one follow up message, default to a phone call. Youll have a much better chance of getting an immediate res ponse- or at least putting it on your co-workers radargert as an issue that needs his or her attention. 3. It Takes More Than a Few SentencesAt some point, youve probably received a novel of an email that took you 20 minutes to read- and still left you with questions by the signoff at the end. Dont subject others to that torture.If whatever you need to convey takes more than a couple paragraphs- say, youre explaining the nuances of an assignment or clarifying a department process to someone on another team- its often more efficient to pick up the phone. That will allow the other person to ask questions, and from the tone of her voice, by the time you hang up, you can be sure that she understands completely.4. You Want Candid FeedbackMaybe you have a brilliant idea for an article or sales pitch, and you want to landsee what your colleague thinks before you get started. With an email, you may get a response like, OK. That sounds good. While that reply is positive, it doesnt raise any concerns or spark any additional suggestions. In short, its not very useful feedback.A phone call, however- which, by nature, begs for more than a quick, noncommittal response- will allow you hear your co-workers tone of voice, dive deeper into the nuances of your idea, address any questions your colleague has, and, overall, get more thoughtful, candid feedback.5. You Want to Build a RelationshipEmail is great for quick, efficient communication. But sometimes, you need a more personal touch- like when youre reaching out to a new remote colleague or company client. Sure, you can write a perfectly nice introductory email. But a phone call can help you convey a warmth and genuineness that email cant- and that cant help you build an actual relationship with the person on the other side, rather than become yet another email contact in his or her address book. 6. You Dont Want a Record of the ConversationFor better or for worse, emails are forever preserved somewhere out there, ready to b e quoted or forwarded at a moments notice. So, if you need to discuss confidential or sensitive information that doesnt belong in writing quite yet- like rumors of a company merger or a co-worker being recruited by a competing firm- a phone call is best. This also holds true for casual conversations youd rather keep private, like when you need help from a co-worker to meet a last-minute request and want to explain the circumstances of the situation- such as, I hate to ask you for a favor at 445 PM, but my manager dropped the ball on the Smith proposal and we have to pull it together tonight.That may be true and certainly helps explain the context of the request, but its not exactly something that should make its way back to your manager by way of a forwarded email chain. On the phone, you can be candid without chancing your words getting to the wrong place (well, as long as you close the office door).Aaron Kwittken, CEO and managing partner at Kwittken, may summarize it best Anythin g you have to think twice about it, anything you think might be sensitive, anything that you think requires your relationship skillsabsolutely you should pick up the phone.Photo of woman on phone courtesy of Shutterstock.

A good relationship with your parents may make you a better employee

A good relationship with your parents may make you a better employeeA good relationship with your parents may make you a better employeeHaving a closerelationship with your parents when youre a moody, malleable 15-year-oldhas now been linked to being a better worker later on in life.A study in the Journal of General Psychologylooked into how parents influence their teenagers approach to work when they become adults.The result having the social support of ones parents could make the children look to work harder as adults, the study suggests.Researchers from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands were building off of studies that have found that, children with a positive relationship with either parent might internalize their parents norms and values.The study supports previous research from the University of Michigans Wayne Baker that says that we inherit our parents views of work, and a Harvard study that says that daughters of working moms tend to become high achieversand ea rn mora money.How a work ethic is made in the homeIn 2006 and 2007, researcherssurveyed 3841 adultsin the Netherlands and asked them about their relationships with their parents when they were 15 years old, and about their current values about work. People who had goodrelationships would strongly agree with statements like, I always felt that my mother father supported me.Overall, adults who had positiverelationships with their parents would be more likely to answer positively about statements around work orientation and work ethic like,I find it very important to do my job well or if people want to enjoy life, they should also be prepared to work hard for it.Fathers are more influential to work values, at least in Dutch societyFor people in the Netherlands, researchers concluded that the relationship with the father is more central to the development of childrens work values than the relationship with the mother. Both men and women found that their fathers shaped their work ethic m ore than their mothers.Of course, not every culture is like this. The researchers acknowledged that one of the limitations of their study is the generalizability of our results to people from other cultures or countries.In the Netherlands, less than 10% of women work full-time. Moreover, Slate found that 25% of Dutch women are not financially independent, and rely on men to be breadwinners. So with fewer working women role models, it makes sense why teenagersgrowing up there see their fathers more as working role models.People in the Netherlands will also be retiring later since the age to get a pension will be raised from age 65 to 67 in 2023. That fact was cited as one of the researchers reasons for doing the study so that managers and employers can study what keepstheir hard-working employees happier and healthier.That doesnt mean that you can blame your parents if youre lazy, of course. It just means that people with hardworking parents have a headstart on working life.

How to get free donuts on National Donut Day

How to get free donuts on National Donut DayHow to get free donuts on National Donut DayHappy National Donut Day Who doesnt love a delicious donut in the morning when they come to work? Essentially it is a dessert, but we get to say it is breakfast food which is awesome.A few fun facts about donuts to impress your coworkers withThis day welches created in 1938 to honor The Salvation Army Donut Lassies. These were the women who served the tasty pastries to soldiers duringWorld War I. And here you probably thought Dunkin Donuts started it.Not surprisingly America produces 10 billiondonutsevery year, making it the top producer in the world.Boston hasthe mostdonut shops per person of any city. There is one donut shop for every 2,480 people.If you are wondering why donuts have holes it is because it allows them to cook more evenlyAs for where to get some free donuts today, here is a list of stores offering you some treats.Dunkin Donuts is offering you a free donut with any beverage purcha seTim Hortons in select markets will have a chance to win free donuts for a year. According to the company website, five specially selected restaurants across Buffalo, New York, Columbus, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan will offer the 24k gold-covered Timbits. The first in-restaurant Guest after 6 am to ask for the Gold Timbits at each one of these five locations on June 1 will win the prize of free donuts for a year.Walmart is giving away free donuts just for coming to their store.Krispy Kreme is also just giving out its delicious donuts for free.Papa Johns is giving youa free order of donut holes withany online purchase because who doesnt like their pizza with donuts? After National Donut Day, use promo code DONUT, for a free order with the purchase of any two pizzas in June.