Randy's Magic E-Mail Tips

· Save all of it; no exceptions
· If you want somebody to do something, make them the only recipient. Otherwise, you have diffusion of responsibility. Give a concrete request/task and a deadline.
· If you really want somebody to do something, CC someone powerful.
· Nagging is okay; if someone doesn't respond in 48 hours, they'll probably never respond. (True for phone as well as email).

Care and Feeding of Advisors: Time management Advice

· Get a day timer or PDA
· Write things down
· When's our next meeting?
· What's my goal to have done by then?
· Who to turn to for help?
· Remember: advisors want results!

Care and Feeding of Advisors: Life Advice

· They know more than you do
· They care about you
· They didn't get where they are by their social skills - take the initiative in talking with them!

General Advice: Vacations

· Phone callers should get two options:
o If this can't wait, contact John Smith at 555-1212
o otherwise, please call back June 1
· This works for Email too!
· Vacations should be vacations
o It's not a vacation if you're reading email
o Story of my honeymoon. . .

General Advice

· Kill your television (how badly do your want tenure or your degree?)
· Turn money into time - especially important for people with kids or other family commitments
· East and sleep and exercise. Above all else!
· Never break a promise, but re-negotiate them if need be.
· If you haven't got time to do it right, you don't have time to do it wrong
· Recognize that most things are pass/fail.
· Feedback loops: ask in confidence

Action Items

· Get a day-timer (or PDA) if you don't already have one
· Start keeping your TODO list in four-quadrant form or ordered by priorities (not due dates)
· Do a time journal, or at least record number of hours of television/week
· Make a note in your day-time to revisit this talk in 30 days (). At that time, ask yourself "What behaviors have I changed?"