2 cents please

After 11 years of having a real job I have learned some of the rules about communication.

1. Never write anything in an email that you would not want the President of the company or anyone else to read.
2. Email can always be misinterpreted. People often read work email with a rude or sarcastic tone. Even if you are trying your hardest to be nice, they can think the complete opposite. That’s why I often put “Thanks!” at the bottom of my email.
3. Never send an email when it was written in anger or frustration. Most of the time it will be forwarded to someone and you will end up in an office explaining your intentions.
4. Don’t invite your boss to call in sick and hang out with you. Yes, I actually was dumb enough to do this years ago.
5. There’s more, but you get the idea.

So here is the part I need help with. I think I am overly polite when I go to talk to someone. Today I stopped by a buyer’s desk and asked her for a phone number for someone she buys product from. She started to look it up, but then her phone rang. She could have easily put the person on hold and given me the contact, but she didn’t. She talked for them for two minutes until I got fed up and walked away. It really pissed me off.

I think it pissed me off because I try to be courteous to everyone at work. If I am on the phone or in the middle of a conversation I will always acknowledge if someone comes to my door and give them an estimate of how long it will be. If I am speaking with someone and my phone rings I do one of two things. Either explain that this is an important call and that I need just a minute, or write the number down of the person calling me and call them after I am done.

So two questions. How long should I wait if they are already talking to someone on the phone or in person, they know I am there, but they don’t acknowledge me? How long should I wait if I am already meeting with someone and they take a phone call? Or should I just be less courteous and do the same thing to everyone else?

One more thing to pass by you. The President of the company comes to my office about once every six months for something. Last Friday he stopped by as I was rebooting my computer. I started talking to him and glanced over at my computer to my horror to see a movie of Napoleon Dynamite dancing on my screen. The IS Manager thought it would be funny to screw with my computer, but never anticipating someone might be in my office when my computer started. I think the President just thought I was messing around on company time. I don’t want to get the IS Manager in trouble, but I also don’t want the President to think I am a waste of an employee. What do you think?