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Returning Calls

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In business, returning your calls is not optional. we are all busy people, it is virtually impossible to be available for every call that comes in. So at some point of time, a caller is going to get your voice mail. But will you return their call?

I receive 100+ emails and dozens of calls every day. I respond to every single email and message personally. You may think that is silly, but I feel it is the right thing to do. I put away an hour of my day to return my calls. Some people announce in their voice mail to specifically let callers know their calls will be returned during specific hours of the day.  Isn’t that wonderful?

Returning phone calls used to be a courtesy that was heavily ingrained in proper business etiquette. Sometime during the exponential growth of information to which we have all been exposed, returning phone calls has become the exception rather than the rule.

People that don’t call or email me back, get on my nerves. It’s disrespectful.  It says, “you are not important to me.”  My philosophy is that you should never be so self-absorbed that you stop caring about others.  If someone calls you, call them back.  Dude, if they are “asking” and you have nothing to offer, simply say “no”. That will work. Trust me!

The one thing to keep in mind is that there may be a legitimate reason for someone to not return my call.  Health or family issues come to mind.  When someone has a personal crisis, everything else is off the radar.  So before you go off the deep end, make sure there was not a legitimate reason for the lack of a return call.

Returning phone calls is an essential part of building strong relationships, which is the foundation for a successful business. Want to talk to me about it? Call me :-). You may have to leave a message, but you can be sure that I will call you back. So let it be written, so let it be done.

Lack of intellectual acuity!

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He’s a few clowns short of a circus. A few fries short of a Happy Meal. An experiment in Artificial Stupidity. A few beers short of a six-pack. Dumber than a box of hair. A few peas short of a casserole. Doesn’t have all his cornflakes in one box. His wheel’s spinning but the hamster’s dead. One Fruit Loop shy of a full bowl. One taco short of a combination plate. A few feathers short of a whole duck. All foam, no beer. The cheese slid off his cracker. Body by Fisher, brains by Mattel. Couldn’t pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. He fell out of the Stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down. An intellect rivaled only by garden tools. As smart as bait. Chimney’s clogged. He doesn’t have all his dogs on one leash. Doesn’t know much but leads the league in nostril hair. Elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor. He forgot to pay his brain bill. His sewing machine’s out of thread. His antenna doesn’t pick up all the channels. His belt doesn’t go through all the loops. If he had another brain it would be lonely. He’s missing a few buttons on his remote control. No grain in the silo. Proof that evolution “can” go in reverse. Receiver is off the hook. Several nuts short of a full pouch. Skylight leaks a little. Slinky’s kinked. Surfing in Nebraska. Too much yardage between the goal posts. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. The lights are on, but nobody’s home. 24 cents short of a quarter.

What does this all mean? Simple,  he is lacking intellectual acuity!

Dull stupid fatuous…

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Taking a look around us, it is easy to spot dull stupid fatuous people.  They are better known as jerks, and  are like roaches — there is never just one.

He or she is an intrusive, backstabbing, interrupting, monopolizing, bragging, paranoid, two-faced, intimidating, and SARCASTIC. Everyone is given a jerk just like a guardian angel. Instead of protecting you however, the jerk builds your character.  They come in all shapes and sizes, so there are no actual physical characteristics to spot. You can however tell by their behavior what they are made of. They tend to talk loudly, lie to make themselves look good and others bad, take credit for others’ hard work, are inflexible when working with others, and talk nice, but sarcastically.

If you see your prospective jerk doing two or three of the things above, you are dealing with a certifiable, authentic jerk.

There are many things you can to create a civilized workplace and get along with jerks, but best thing to do is to drop the jerk and move on. The real reason to forgive is to prevent your own anger from hurting you emotionally and physically. Built up anger is likely to cause more trouble for the angered than the target of the anger. Forget about the roach, and let’s move on.

Common Sense? Not!

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The term should speak for itself. A sense which SHOULD be common to everyone. Usually refers to any sort of logic that should be obvious to anyone. For example It is dangerous to play with sharp objects, or Don’t touch the poisonous snake. Common sense? Yes!  So, if common sense is so common how come so few people have it?

“Stupid is as Stupid does, Forrest!” A quote from the movie “Forrest Gump”

People aren’t getting any more stupid per se as far as intelligence goes, but the lack of common sense makes them “seem” more stupid to those of us 🙂 who still use common sense on a daily basis.

If the radio in my car is not working, do I go without it until I can have it repaired or do I do what I saw one particular “rocket scientist” do the other day- wear a walk man, complete with noise cancelling headphones, while driving? On what planet does this make good sense? Let’s not even discuss how illegal this is now a days.

Shall we delve into a discussion about all the braincases who think leaving their toddler in the car with the windows rolled up and doors locked is EVER a good idea? Or what about people who use their cell phone constantly while driving? Or those who feel they are such safe drivers that they don’t put their children in car seats?

So where did common sense go and how can we get it back?

I blame education and technology. We are raising a generation of simpletons who have no clue how to do anything for themselves and because life is so easy for the younger generations, they have no use for common sense. They can achieve nuclear fusion, but they can’t tie their shoes.

Without common sense, how long can the world last? Are we truly advanced if humanity is devolving?

Forrest Gump would say “Nope. And that’s all I have to say about that.”