Multiple Contact Options - Make The Most Of Them

We often feel like we can not get away from work and those that want our time.  However, multiple contact options can easily be overlooked.  That can cause delays and information loss.  The ease of communication in the modern world should not convince us to overlook the need for contingencies and other channels.  Any time we rely on one path, it can be blocked and stop progress.  That goes for our available communication channels as well as any physical path.

While we all have preferred ways to communicate, we also have other options.  None of us are so special that we can ignore multiple contact options for those that are most important to us.  Yes, that can even mean our customers and coworkers.  We can look at the negatives, such as getting a call at an inconvenient time.  However, we might also get a call that says we need to stay home from work today due to weather or some other emergency.  Not all "surprise" news is negative.  In any case, we are always better off when we can choose what to ignore rather than have the choice forced on us.

There is value in having at least a couple of communication channels you are comfortable with. These can be a primary and emergency or a 1A and 1B option.  The essential point is to have more than one just in case the other goes down.  The message you do not miss could be the one that changes your life.

If you like this season, you will probably like Scott Adams' book, "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life."