and commitments you should create daily prioritized to-do lists. The section on time management later in this article discusses managing these daily to-do lists in more detail.

A daily to-do list is an effective reminder of your commitments. If you see that you are overloaded and will miss a deadline, try to negotiate a new deadline. Then you will know whether it is so critical to complete the task today that you must reprioritize, or work late, or whether it can wait a day or two. The sooner you communicate with your colleagues, the easier it is to reprioritize your work and the easier it is for them to adjust their work to the new schedule.

Make a good first impression. The first impression that you make with colleagues dominates all future interactions with them. If you get off on the wrong foot, it is difficult to recover, and you will experience more conflicts. On the other hand, if you make a good first impression, the occasional mistake will be forgiven and forgotten.

Be on time or early for appointments, polite, friendly, and willing to listen. Most people are visual beings, so appearance and facial expression are two things they notice first. Appropriate attire is different at different companies, so tailor your appearance to your environment. At one company an SA wore baggy overalls and dyed her hair bright pink. The group she supported was very respectful and enthusiastic about her. She gained quick acceptance from her customers because they figured that anyone who dressed that way and got away with it must be really good at what she does. She retained their respect by being good at her job. On the other hand, at another company an SA dressed provocatively because she felt that when her heterosexual male colleagues found her attractive, they were nicer to her. Being treated nicely and being respected, however, are two different things.

Most importantly, listen to what
your colleagues are saying and take
notes. There is nothing more frustrat-
ing than trying to explain something
to someone who is not really listening
and just assumes that he or she knows
what you want. Specific techniques
for improving your listening and com-
munication skills are covered in more
detail in the next section.