Scared of the Phone

When I first started working, at the end of college and into my first year of “real world” employment, I was scared of the phone.

Email and Instant Messaging offered ways to communicate that didn’t put the same kind of pressure on me; I could check in with people before I gave a response to any given question. I could always put my best foot forward. No grammatical errors.

When I had to get a bid from a supplier or figure out details for a mass mailing (we no longer send snail mail brochures for our events, of course), I would always try communicating digitally before, with great reluctance, I would pick up the phone and call someone.

Over time I’ve grown to love the phone. Now I find myself e-mailing people and asking when they’re available to talk on the phone or, even better, meet up in person.

Everyone is just a person. It turns out that work can be a lot more fun if you take the trouble to deal with people instead of a checklist. That’s one of the things I really enjoy about the event business. At the end of the day, my work is really about getting people to have fun.

It’s taken me a few years, but I am no longer scared of the phone. How cool.