Another time-saver is to pay close attention to when you place your phone calls. There are times, amusingly enough, when I call in order not to get through. Sometimes you don’t have time for an in-depth conversation; you just want to drop a line and say hello. I try to take mental notes of people’s phone habits, and if I want to simply leave a message, I’ll call when I know they’re not around. Calling their office really early or late usually does the trick.
