Step 2 - Communicate less

Well, maybe it should really be communicate more efficiently and effectively, but the ease of method and volume is what tends to get me in trouble. It takes neither much effort nor time to communicate these days. Got a problem? Rip off a very blunt email and make your case, leave a very volatile voicemail, or if you're really on the cutting edge...a text message. As I have learned the hard way, the lack of face-to-face contact not only prevents the very important body language of your recipient's reaction, but also leaves the intended context of the message totally up to the perception of the receiver. Having just moved into a brand new facility that is twice as big as our previous office, actually seeing everyone on a daily basis is much harder, or avoiding them is much easier, if you prefer. I have started making rounds twice a day. It takes less than 10 minutes, and is a welcomed and authorized break for this non-smoker. It is just an opportunity for face-to-face communication with everyone else in the building. Though very brief, it restores a human element to the very inhuman confines of the modern office.