Calling Features

It's that time of year when the entertainment industry broadcasts their awards shows.  The Grammys, Golden Globes, and SAGs have already been presented.  The Academy Awards, or Oscars, will be given out on February 27th.  It must be so exciting to be nominated for any of these honors.  The heart may race with excitement when someone learns they have been nominated.  You wonder if the heart momentarily pauses as the person's category is announced and they wait to hear if their name will be called.  Finally, the heart might fill with joy for the winners and break with disappointment for the losers.  While you may never be nominated for any of the awards mentioned above, you do have a comparable experience.  Each time that your phone rings, the person on the other end is a presenter.  You have some tools at your disposal to help you determine your chances of feeling like a winner if you take the call.  Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Voice Mail help you decide if you will need an acceptance speech or concession speech.

Caller ID - When your phone rings, you probably check the display to see who is calling.  You can decide if you want to answer based on who is on the other end of the line.  This choice also applies to other interactions that are not on the phone.  Your email, text, and instant messages have sender fields.  The messenger always has an impact on the message.  Knowing who you are dealing with helps you get to the heart of the matter in a timely manner.

Call Waiting - You are probably familiar with the beep that you hear when you have another call waiting.  It interrupts the flow of your conversation and indicates that someone else wants your attention.  This is symbolic of the common trend of multi-tasking.  It is possible, and sometimes necessary, to do multiple things at the same time.  However, be careful that you don't drop the first call (task) while you are switching to the next one.  You need to prioritize your many responsibilities to make sure that others are getting what they need from you.  Your accountability and responsiveness to others will influence whether they click over to answer your call.  Treat people well so that they will have a soft spot in their heart for you.      

Voice Mail - How often do you check your messages? Do you listen to them with the expectation that you will hear something to push your buttons?  You have buttons for humor, duty, comfort, stress, and other reactions.  Make sure that you control the access to your buttons.  As you listen to the message, select the button that works best for you at the moment.  It may not align with what the messenger intended, but you are disciplined enough not to allow yourself to be provoked. Make sure that your response comes from your head (logic) as well as your heart (emotion).   

Which calling feature is the most useful to you?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts on the post.