12 Steps to IM Productivity

Instant messaging can be a time-sucking black hole… or an indispensible productivity tool. Here’s a 12-step program that can give your productivity a boost (meetings not required!). 

1. Get a new instant messenger. Most people stick with whatever IM they started with — often AIM or WLM — without really thinking about what their needs are and considering their options. And there are a lot of options for instant messaging today. What worked for you as a student, may not be best suited for your needs in the workforce. Consider where your contacts are (the networks you’ll need to communicate on); the tools you need to colloborate (will text chat suffice, or do you need video, audio, file tranfer or other advanced features); and your operating environment (PC, Mac or Linux; mobile devices; public computers). 
      
2. Manage your identity.  Oh sure, when you were a teenager, “NumberOneJonasBrothersFan” was a great screen name. Not so good for grown-ups (basically anyone between the ages of 17 and dead). Keep it simple and professional. Your future boss is watching. You may even want to consider having one account for social contacts, and another for professional contacts. 
      
3. Manage your contact list. Don’t let your contact list get out of control — it’s your address book, not a popularity contest! Categorize your contacts (friends, family, co-workers, associates, etc.) and periodically take a machete to your list, ruthlessly pruning the old contacts you really don’t know or care about. This alone can save you a ton of time. 
      
4. Keep the world at bay! Now that you’ve got a meaningful list of contacts (Step #3), you want to keep out the rest of the world. Most instant messengers will, by default, allow anyone to contact you. This can be a huge waste of time and productivity. Take a few minutes to configure your instant messenger so that only people on your contact list can IM you. You’ll thank me later. 
      
5. Use your status wisely. If you’re going to be online, use your status to indicate your availability. If you can’t be disturbed, say so. Your contacts will appreciate knowing you can’t reply right now. Some IM programs even allow you to set a different status to different groups, so you could be “available” to co-workers during working hours, and “away” to friends. 
      
6. Establish a “quiet time.” Just because you can be online 24/7 doesn’t mean you should. Create some boundaries that give you blocks of time to focus on the task at hand. This rule works well for checking email, too! Along with that, configure your instant messenger so that it does not load automatically when you start your computer. Use it when you need it. 
      
7. Consider a multi-protocol instant messenger. If your contacts are spread across multiple networks, consider one of the many multi-network IM programs. You usually sacrifice some functionality, but you free up system memory and save having to switch between multiple applications. Good choices include Adium (Mac OS X), Digsby and Trillian (Windows), Meebo and eBuddy (web-based, multi-platform). 
      
8. Hire a virtual assistant. There are a number of IM “bots” — automated IM assistants — that can keep you informed with weather, stock quotes, news and much, much more. You can find tons of IM bots online, or even create your own IM bot in five minutes.
      
9. Manage your to-do list. Whether you are a GTD-fan or just like to maintain an online task list, there are a number of great ways to automate task create and reminders via IM. IMified will let you post to Remember the Milk, Delicious or even post to your blog!
      
10. Communicate with care. It’s easy to forget that emotions such as humor or sarcasm aren’t always obvious in a short text message. Your contact cannot read your body language or see the smirk on your face. The normal visual cues that let them know you are joking aren’t there. It’s you’re responsiblity to communicate clearly. Take a little extra time and choose your words wisely. And adding a smiley doesn’t necessarily cover all your sins. 🙂
       
11. Go mobile. Most phones today, even the “dumb” ones, will allow IM functionality. Mobile IM lets you cut loose from the desk, but remain connected. Depending on your phone and IM network, you may incur SMS or data costs, so use it wisely and remember to honor your quiet times. You want to use IM as a tool, not become a tool yourself. 
       
12. Go offline! Maybe the best advice of all is to unplug. And probably more often than you think you need to. Get a little face time with people, or simply pick up the phone and call. Sometimes IM just gets in the way when a phone call or face-to-face conversation will save time and reduce miscommunication. 

Looking for more tips for IM productivity? Check out these great posts at WebWorkerDaily, lifehacker. and makeuseof.com. What are your tips for IM productivity? Leave a comment and let me know!