Executive Coach's Tip: Practice the "Courtesy Call" Habit

None of us have the luxury of wasting valuable work time.  Time. Is. Valuable.

Showing up for a meeting and then finding out your contact double-booked or forgot about the meeting is time-wasted that COULD HAVE been avoided.  Showing up for a meeting where the other party is not fully prepared CAN (and many times DOES) result in an unproductive meeting for BOTH of you which COULD also have been avoided.

Calling ahead is an ACT OF COURTESY. Calling head demonstrates YOU CARE .... you care about your time, you care about THEIR time .... and you care about the relationship.

Practice the COURTESY CALL habit -- Always call ahead or give a reminder notice for all of your appointments, particularly those requiring travel/commute time:

• At a minimum, send an email the day before the appointment to confirm time, place and agenda
• Call the day before or call the morning of an in-person appointment to confirm the meeting time, place and agenda/topic
• Leave a voice mail message if you're unable to connect in person
• Follow up with an email reminder if you're unable to connect in person

If you're running late for the appointment:

• ALWAYS call ahead if you know you're going to be more than 5 minutes late
• Alternatively, send a text message if you're going to be more than 5 minutes late
• If you're running more than 15 minutes behind, give the other party the option to reschedule if necessary

Are there some calls and meetings on your calendar TODAY that require a courtesy call?

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Andy Robinson, Executive Career Coach
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: Andy@CRGLeaders.com, 239-285-5575

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