Tag Archives: linkedin

How I manage email, SMS, phone calls – how to contact me

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(latest version of this text)

Hello,

I receive many emails and other forms of communication. I enjoy quality contacts, but at the same time, I’d like to preserve my sanity (what’s left) and my efficiency… 🙂

So in order to avoid unmet expectations, I’d like to clarify below how I manage the numerous communication channels that technology gives us today.

Emails

I try to read my emails once and only once per day. I voluntarily limit email reading in order to focus on important vs urgent matters, to be more proactive vs passive and to reduce the number of interruptions. I usually don’t read my emails during the weekends and holidays. I don’t set a vacation message because I consider that a breach of my private life (this means that, on occasions, I might not reply for the duration of my holidays).

I consider email as asynchronous and for non urgent communication (please do not send me an email to cancel a meeting at the last minute, for example – I find this rude, actually).  See SMS section for urgent messages. You can expect a reply from me in 3 working days under normal circumstances (longer if I’m on holidays). I reply to most emails that expect a reply from me – unless they are rude, flame wars or “commercial cold calls”.

All commercial solicitations must be done by email. Please don’t send “commercial cold calls” emails several times – if I did not reply, I’m not interested.  I consider repeated emails rude and they significantly reduce my willingness to work with the author of such emails.

Please note that I’m on the Robinson list. If you don’t know what that is, read about it on Wikipedia. If you don’t know what Wikipedia is, well, then don’t contact me at all. 😉

Don’t put me on mailing lists without my prior consent. I’m in favor of opt-in. If you put me on a mailing list, this reduces my willingness to consider your product / service.

Don’t send me messages via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc… I have no commitment to reply to messages coming via social networks.

If you use whitelisting software to reduce your spam, don’t expect me to click to validate that I’m a legitimate sender.  I don’t want to bear the burden.  Imagine if everybody was doing that…  There are other ways to fight spam.

Phone – voice calls

Please only call me if we know each other and only for urgent matters (urgent means to be solved in a few hours time) – and try SMS first if possible. In other cases, send me an email first. I hate being called for commercial purposes. I don’t answer calls without a caller ID.  If you’re not sure if you should call, then send an email first.  This does not apply to my close friends, of course (you know who you are, dear).

Phone – voice mail

Please don’t leave me a message asking to call you back. Just leave a message with your questions or information you want to transmit to me.  Let’s be efficient.

I am on the “Don’t call me” list (ex-Robinson). See “emails section”.

SMS

Use SMS only for urgent communications and if we know each other. Please make sure it’s really urgent. Also make sure you receive a confirmation from me that I received your message.  I hate commercial solicitations by SMS. Now you know. 😉

Summary

To sum up, use the following channels to contact me, by order of preference:

  1. Email
  2. SMS
  3. Phone call

Besides that, I’ll be happy to be in touch with you. 🙂

It’s just a question of mutual respect.

Thanks

Vincent

ICT Manager of the Year 2011 – Belgium – SME

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Merci à tous ceux qui m’ont permis d’obtenir ce prix!  Le jury, mais aussi et surtout tous les collaborateurs de Lampiris, la direction (Bruno, Bruno, Tom) qui nous en donne les moyens et tous ceux qui me soutiennent par leur amitié dans tous les petits moments de la vie!

Quelques liens:

Anti-cancer tips

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Someone concerned by cancer asked me recently about what I had learned through my readings and if I could make suggestions.  Although I am not a doctor, I have compiled a lot of information that I’m happy to share and that I feel are safe and from serious sources.

A bit of background: I have blood cancer (CML) but it’s under control, thanks to a miracle drug called Glivec.  My son, Pierre, 12 years old, has also had cancer 2 years ago (yesterday was the second anniversary of the discovery of his cancer).  Ewing Sarcoma in the right foot, right tibia, 2 knees and right shoulder.  4 chances out of 5 of dying, I learned.  But also 1 chance out of 5 of surviving.  And that is the target we chose…  :-/  He has undergone chemo, radio and surgery (amputation of his right leg).  He is good now and full of life, thanks God!  His story is on a blog at http://pierre.keunen.net (all in French…).

And now we do take great care about nutrition, because I’m sure it helps.  Bad nutrition is probably not sufficient to cause cancer alone.  I think that in most cases, cancer is a multi-causes disease.  The main probable causes seem to be (according to those serious readings I did in the last 2 years):

  1. smoking,
  2. being in contact with cancerous chemicals,
  3. bad nutrition,
  4. stress with a feeling of not being able to react,
  5. lack of physical exercises and
  6. electro-smog (gsm, wifi, and all other micro-waves).

Since it’s very difficult to know what causes are involved in one specific person that has cancer, I think that the best solution, at the individual level, is to work on ALL aspects in order to reduce the probability as much as we can.  These include:

  1. stop smoking if you smoke
  2. review chemical products you are in regular contact with (chemicals related to your job, cleaning products at home, products you put on your skin (perfumes, sun cream, soap…), etc.)
  3. learn how to eat well
  4. reduce your stress (change stress generating situations, learn yoga, meditation, cardiac coherence…)
  5. exercise (the best seem to do light exercises everyday for 20 minutes – like walking, cycling…)
  6. use common sense to reduce electro smog (don’t carrry your gsm directly on your body…)

This may seem a lot at first reading, but if you take your time, you will slowly learn how to live better and you’ll be happy you did.  These suggestions, by the way, are also given for good health, independently of cancer, so they are good habits to learn.

For points 2 and 3, there is an easy way to start: trust “bio / organic” products.  Despite what some say, they are well controlled products and they are much better products than non bio products.  Of course, they are a bit more expensive.  You just have to decide what price you are ready to pay for good health.  And you will augment your eating pleasure, by the way!

To learn more about nutrition, and not only “good quality nutrition”, but also “anti cancer nutrition” (which is a bit more specific), there are 2 books you have to start with:

Both are in English and easy reads.

Another book was also very helpful (although harder to read).  I used it to do mental visualizations with my son:

That’s a very short summary, there is so much more to say, but it’s a start.  Good luck to you!

Vincent