Being Geek

Chapter 11. The Leaper

On my short list of professional competitive differentiators, I would list my Inbox strategy. I have a zero-tolerance policy for unread mails. Zero. Any mail, however big or small, that lands in my Inbox is instantly read. There is an industrial-strength set of mail filters that move mailing list noise out of the way, and yes, that means I ignore a good portion of my incoming mail, but most mail addressed directly to me is consistently and expediently read.

There are other Inbox strategies I employ to figure out when and how I respond, too, but I admit the combination of these strategies is not foolproof. I read mails and never respond, despite having good intentions to do so. I passive-aggressively ignore mails I just don’t want to answer, and sometimes I just forget to respond. I have a carefully constructed excuse when I’m called on these mail transgressions. It’s a standard preface in all emails and phone conversations where there needs to be an acknowledgment of neglect and it’s...

“Sorry, I’ve been swamped....”

This isn’t a lie; it’s an excuse.

Now, there is a bit of pride in that I have a life where I’m scrambling. Yes, I’m proud that I’m busy. I’m a happy member of the busy club because I’ve been to the bored club meetings and, well, they’re boring.

The pride vanishes in the guilt that there was neglect. I forget to respond, I screwed up in some manner, and here I am with my standard disclaimer: “swamped.” The guilt is the emotion that lingers. I just checked ...