Timely Tips August 2009: When E-mail Doesn't Make Sense

Ahhh, finally -- it looks like summer has made it to Mid-Michigan. We've had the most beautiful spring so far this summer, but I'm glad the heat has finally showed up. I was wondering if we'd ever see 80 degrees (and to my friends out west and in Texas, this would have been a GREAT year to take a vacation to Michigan!)

I'm going to do something pretty fun this month -- a little different than my typical Timely Tip. One of my project partners during the Taming E-mail book launch, Jan Bolick with Business Class, Inc., did an interview with me, and she very cleverly took a 1-minute snippet out of it and made it into a share-able audio file. It is about when e-mail DOES NOT make sense as a communications method -- she labeled this the "e-mail sniff test". This might be something to share around with your group or team -- could clear up some of those uncomfortable "Office"-style communications situations. And save you time, of course! Here's the link to the 1-minute audio (works best on Internet Explorer -- may require a plug-in to play on Firefox):

http://www.businessclassinc.com/2009/07/14/e-mail-sniff-test/


Let me know your thoughts on this, and if you decided to share around a bit. Any other times you recommend avoiding e-mail? And, how's that for a very timely Timely Tip?

Facebook Fan? Taming Email Fan?

Are you a Facebooker? Have you found something useful from my Taming E-mail book or one of my live Taming E-mail programs? Do me a favor -- join my Taming the E-mail Beast fan page on Facebook! Or, just search for "Taming the E-mail Beast" in your Facebook search tool.

I've started a discussion on the fan page on your ONE favorite Taming E-mail tip -- would love to see your favorites!

What's Randy Reading?

I've got two new e-newsletters that I'm reading quite frequently now -- filled with both time & technology enhancement skills AND marketing/sales expertise.

First is Josh Zerkel's Custom Living Solutions e-newsletter. If you remember, I hosted Josh on a program on home office organization a while back -- Josh is the founder of Custom Living Solutions and the president of the Bay Area Chapter of NAPO. I just love the information Josh shares on organizing and technology -- and he always finds the time to review very cool new software programs that can help you save time. I strongly recommend adding this to your monthly reading list -- here's the link to subscribe:

http://www.customlivingsolutions.com/organizing-newsletter.htm


Second is Stan "Mr. Fantastic" Billue's monthly e-newsletter on sales, marketing, & motivation strategies. It is irreverent, timely, and often politically incorrect. Most months, he makes me laugh out loud. It isn't for the easily offended, but it always packs in gems of knowledge that work in the real world. Here's the link to learn more and register: http://www.StanBillue.com.


And I'm Picking on Josh???

I told Josh he's got too many good ideas and too much info in his monthly e-newsletter -- yeah, right! And I even held back the great results we had from my recent appearances at the Affordable Meetings Midwest program in Chicago, the IMA National Conference in Denver, and my recent MSU HRD Taming E-mail session -- I'll try to share those with you soon.

Also, watch for me next month in DC at HIDA MedSurg, ICLE/Michigan Bar in Dearborn, the Katz School at U. Pitt, the IIDEX Conference in Toronto, and the MECRA Conference in Traverse City. Make sure to stop by and say "Hi"!

Until we talk again, Stay Timely!