Do you make just one more phone call, when you do not have the 
time to do so? Do you answer the phone, when you know that it 
will make you late?

Are you creating barriers to effective communication with your 
telephone manners? Take immediate action to eliminate obstacles 
to successful communication.

This is an easy fix. Don't touch that phone! It really is that 
simple.

Create an opportunity to overcome barriers to effective 
communication. Determine what time you must leave to adhere to 
your schedule and then honor that time. Do NOT touch that phone. 
Do not make just one more call. Do not answer just one more call.

What happens when you try to squeeze in just one more call? You 
are expecting voice mail, but you reach a person. You must now 
communicate -- not just leave a brief message.

However, you are in a hurry so you do not adequately present your 
information. Or, the person has questions for you, and you are 
not prepared. You have just annoyed the person you called! 

If you are frequently late for appointments, do you realize that 
making a phone call to announce that you will be late is not 
conductive to effective communication. Remember it is much easier 
to communicate with someone that you have not irritated!

What if you pick up the ringing phone when you know that you must 
leave or have someone waiting? How well do you listen to the 
caller? Do you exchange information or do you create more 
problems for yourself because of your lack of focus?



If you are thinking, "you don't understand, I have to make or 
take this call", consider how satisfied you are with your life. 
Are people frequently frustrated with you? Do you have 
misunderstandings caused by poor communication? 

A woman in one of my workshops shared how discouraged she was 
because she worked extra hours every single day. She explained 
that phone never stopped ringing and she continued to answer even 
through her work day was finished.

Apparently, at some point each day, she would accept the fact the 
phone would ring all night long and that she might never leave 
unless she stopped answering. Understand that she was not 
staffing an emergency line!

People had come to expect her to answer after hours. She was in 
danger of major burnout. What action did she take? She set a time 
to stop answering and honored that time. This is a simple, but 
not easy, action to implement. Habits require time to change!

Normal hours ended at five o'clock but she frequently worked past 
seven every day. She started off by deciding that she would stop 
answering the phone at six-thirty. When she was comfortable with 
that, she moved the time back to six, then five-thirty and 
eventually five o'clock.

Change of behavior improved her communication with customers. It 
became easier to listen when she was not upset about the late 
calls. This change also improved the quality of her personal life 
since she was not so exasperated with her professional life.

What are you going to do today to establish your telephone 
policy? What steps are you taking to overcome barriers to 
effective communication?  

Mary Ellen Warner, MSA, DTM is a speaker, author and coach 
who works with people to overcome barriers to effective 
communication. Learn more about Mary Ellen at 
http://www.marbilwarner.com or contact her at: 
maryellen@marbilwarner.com