When the phone DOES ring...

[megf]

Today falls squarely in the category of "Why won't my phone stop ringing?!" days.

I just wanted to make soup, go for a nice run and catch up on the NY Times website.... and then, I got a phone call. And then another. And more than a dozen calls later (not to mention the firestorm of emails and texts) I have managed to do nothing but gently, calmly negotiate with colleagues about many small details - and a few large details - and done almost nothing on my original list.

Anyone have this experience? In theory, this is my day off this week. Long story. Wahhh! ;-)

[nick_tochelli]

This sounds very familiar. I always found that as a Stage Manager, there are no days off. You could try to take the day off, but then you just deal with the larger mound of issues tomorrow instead of smaller mounds today.

The only thing I could suggest and I found made my days off happier...ignore the calls when they come in. Call them back when you feel like you've had enough restful time to yourself. That's how I dealt. It also gives you an opportunity to weed through real issues vs. make believe issues people are trying to contact you about.

Call it...selective problem solving.

[dallas10086]

I recently had to deal with this issue within the office. At the moment I keep a calendar for the week at my cubicle that anyone can see, I email my basic schedule and agenda for the week to my supervisor, and if worse comes to worse and I am dying for real time off work (I have the same problem in that my day off rarely is fully a day off), I set the auto reply on my email to say I am unavailable to respond...I wish there was a similar response system for phone calls.

In some cases you might have more work waiting for you. But I find that the majority of people contact the SM because it's the most convenient and quick option. If you make yourself unavailable (hey, most of them have the luxury of a weekend and you have to make your own...often in only a day) they simply need to move on to a less convenient option.

[iamchristuffin]

...I set the auto reply on my email to say I am unavailable to respond...I wish there was a similar response system for phone calls.

On most phones, you can block some numbers at will, so could always block work numbers on your day off - these numbers would then go straight to voicemail. On iPhones (I realise most people don't have one) you can use 'Do Not Disturb' - calls will only come through if the same number calls twice within 3 minutes, or if they are one of your favourites.

C

[Maribeth]

I second what's been said- ignore the calls, check your voicemail to see if it was time sensitive, don't check your work email. Sometimes there will be something important enough to deal with on the day off, but if it's not really important or time sensitive, it can wait until the next day.

I had the exact same problem, and I was mostly doing it to myself by checking my work email on the day off and feeling like it was easier to respond right away. On the flip side, it meant that I had a full inbox when I got to work today.

Call it...selective problem solving.

Exactly.

[maximillionx]

I had a day a few weeks ago where I had planned on relaxing at home after job #1. Then I got the call and paperwork had to be done, calls had to be made and plans had to be created.  Work at home days are not nearly as relaxing as you want them to be.

I also recently had to take a trip into work on a vacation day in order to solve a problem. It was one of those "emergencies" that needed to be handled, but I still had that juggling act in my head of 'don't they know I'm on vacation' and 'gotta save the day!'

[missliz]

I don't take my phone to the gym. This gives me an hour or so to de-stress and not take phone calls and emails. Plus, if it's something pressing, the wait isn't too long. Knock wood, this hasn't been a problem in the last year I started doing this.

[dallas10086]

...I set the auto reply on my email to say I am unavailable to respond...I wish there was a similar response system for phone calls.

On most phones, you can block some numbers at will, so could always block work numbers on your day off - these numbers would then go straight to voicemail. On iPhones (I realise most people don't have one) you can use 'Do Not Disturb' - calls will only come through if the same number calls twice within 3 minutes, or if they are one of your favourites.

C

My lack of iPhone is showing  .
What I hate is when a phone call comes through on a day off, I see who it is, I send it to voicemail....and then I think about what possible work-related issue could be waiting for me. That's the part I hate - that my mind so easily thinks about work when I have other things in front of me.

[LCSM]

I can do the whole day off without checking my e-mail, and not worry about it. Then, as soon as I lie down in bed, so much worry descends I can't get to sleep.


The worst is when I check my e-mail the next morning, and I've spant all that energy worrying, and there's nothing in my Inbox.


I keep my phone on my on my day off, because where I am right now, anything that's not super time sensitive goes through e-mail. So if I do pick up, it's unlikely to be unnecessary.

[On_Headset]

To help me escape from the e-mail pressure, I actually bought my own domain a few years ago.

I check my personal and business e-mail as often as I like. For individual shows, I create a specific address (showtitle@) and distribute that on the contact lists. I only check the show address on work days, within work hours.

There's a great rationalization for it, too: by handling my e-mail in this manner, I don't have to worry about tagging or filing or archiving my inbox, because everything is already sorted by show. (If stuff gets sent to the wrong account, you just forward it along. If it needs to be placed in multiple accounts, ditto.) With that in mind, if you'd be so kind as to direct show-related correspondence to the show address...

Owning the domain also gives me a very very basic website which I use to host a CV and contact page. Costs me about $10 a year all told, and in my view it's totally worth it. (I'll also confess that, when I'm reading applications and hiring, I'd much rather see yourname@yourdomain.com, rather than yourname_4412b$%^#x@gmail.com or--even worse--sexylips4412@theatreschool.edu.)

[DeeCap]

I'd much rather see yourname@yourdomain.com, rather than yourname_4412b$%^#x@gmail.com or--even worse--sexylips4412@theatreschool.edu.)

How did you get my email?   

[KMC]

(I'll also confess that, when I'm reading applications and hiring, I'd much rather see yourname@yourdomain.com, rather than yourname_4412b$%^#x@gmail.com or--even worse--sexylips4412@theatreschool.edu.)

My assistant's email address is "sexyvixen83@something.com".  *headdesk*.  Worst of it is she does fantastic work, not a great email address should she need to look for a job in the future, though. 

[nick_tochelli]

My assistant's email address is "sexyvixen83@something.com".  *headdesk*.  Worst of it is she does fantastic work, not a great email address should she need to look for a job in the future, though.

I never thought it would make a difference until I started getting to the point where I had decision making powers on assistants. I found that emails with numbers like 69, or 420 ended up being tossed quickly. My ex from college had an email SweetNSexyVirgo or something to that effect. She was wondering why school districts weren't calling her back for teaching gigs. We got her an email that was her name soon after.

[Jessie_K]

I once worked with a girl with "discobiscuits@xyz.com."  I still don't know how she got hired...

But anyway, about not answering your phone/email on your off day.  I do check the email, but I have trained myself to only respond to genuine emergencies.  When I've answered the phone and it's not an emergency, I politely remind the caller that I am out of the office that day and I will address the issue on the following day.  Usually that works, because often people forget that your off days don't match theirs.

I do believe SMing is a 24-7 job and that the SM needs to be at least emergency contactable at all times.  (Especially on tour).  I believe it's my responsibility to judge what merits my response and when.  And my responsibility to manage a bit of no-phone/no-email time.  It's not easy and there is no quick-fix.  Even if you aren't answering your phone or checking your email--- your brain can still fixate...

You gotta train your brain...

[GalFriday]

SO my favorite. I am not on the clock I am not answering my phone story now must be told.

As many of you know I have recently worked for an automation company that specialized in flight programming. I had a certain client that was calling me every day after I left. Sometimes multiple times a day. It was almost a guarantee they would call on a holiday. They made a choice when we installed their system to only fully train a few staff. Those guys never answered their phone. At one point I had spoken to them on every single holiday (memorial day, 4th of july, labor day, thanksgiving) in about six months. We started charging them for these calls. We gave them a service number to call...we did everything we could think of but...to no avail they still called. This went on for months and was killing my nerves so I took a vacation to a place where my cell phone would not work (Grand Canyon). On the way back to LA my phone rings. I deliberately ignored it and let it go to voicemail. This was the voicemail.

"Um, Dani, um, the rig has stopped and the girl is in the air and we do not know how to get her down. Can you please call us back as soon as possible." Really?

They had a rescue plan. They had practiced a rescue plan. They had signed off on a rescue plan. It involved a ladder. Apparently a few weeks into the run they decided the ladder was in the way and someone removed it from the space. Brilliant.

I called them right back and in that few minutes they had managed to get the girl down (someone grabbed a ladder from another space while the TD ran outside to call me). However, then they mentioned how glad they were that my phone was working again.

By then I was only about 30 minutes from the space and I went over and had a few words...but it is still my absolute favorite story of...I am not answering this phone call.

A year or so later I switched companies. They called me at 5 AM on Christmas morning and I was oh so very happy to give them my old bosses number and remind them he was their contact now!