Rossware Computing, Inc. is a small and personable business.  I want it to retain at least the second attribute (it's part of why we've refused to install a voice-menu tree on our phone system).  As perhaps a more part of this (and as the company's President and CEO) I wish to remain personally accessible to all users, on a ready and immediate basis, whenever I might be desired. 

Not many years ago, this was very practical.  Indeed, I alone provided all support, personally and directly.  I very much enjoyed this role.  I think users, too, enjoyed the fact this company’s “head honcho” was always readily available – with robust knowledge, empathy and understanding. 

Today, of course, we have grown from a few dozen to many hundreds of active users.  Because of this (and though I wish it were otherwise), it is now impossible for me to maintain the same kind of frequent, direct-with-user-interactions (and across the broad base of our users) as I once did.  Instead, we now have a significant staff (five other full-time persons) for the purpose – all arrayed and ready to assist in answering your needs. 

The problem I have (and the factor that triggers my creation of this document) is a number of users, and in a number of contexts, have seemed not to realize there is but one of me.  As much as I want to make time for anyone and everyone that comes to me directly, if everyone does so, it becomes impossible. 

What I am asking for in this document, therefore (and if you are not among the many who have already self-adopted this prescription), is to please ration the times you seek me directly (as opposed to seeking our general support staff) -- please ration to solely those times where it's me you truly and specifically need.   If everyone will so ration their direct-Glade requests, I will thereby manage to be much more readily available for those times when I am truly and specifically needed.   

Does the above make sense?  I hope so. 

I also wish to provide a little more specific guidance. 

General Support Questions:

• If understandings within your organization have been otherwise, please make it clear I should not be the first “go-to” on general support questions.  Our five-member support staff should be used instead.  If the mode of inquiry is email, please use support@rossware.net.  If anywhere in your system you have my own direct email posted for general support, please replace it with the above. 
• Additionally, I hope you will please resist demanding me directly when calling with a general support question.  Yes, I'd like to help directly -- but, again, there is only one of me. 

Who Should Use Direct-To-Glade:

• ‍As at least a general rule, I feel demands for my direct attention should be initiated by persons who occupy an organizational level, within your operation, that’s at least a rough equivalent to mine.  To state this another way, I think, before a matter is escalated by your side to me, it should first pass through the judgment filter of an executive-level person from your operation, and that person should be willing to invest his/her direct time and focus, as a corollary to mine, when requesting mine. 
• ‍For context, I feel at least a little disrespected when the owner of a large operation instructs a base-level employee to call or email and direct-demand my personal attention.  This happens more often than you’d think.  I feel, at least generally, if it’s a matter that has been judged as needing my personal attention, the owner should be willing to expend his own personal time making the request, as he simultaneously demands mine. 
• ‍As further perspective, I think demands for my personal attention should most typically be somewhat more in the nature of peer-to-peer communication – as compared to where, say, a low-level staff person initiates a demand for me.  Most of our users (especially the really terrific ones) do not permit the latter, and I immensely appreciate them for it.  If your operation has been otherwise, I’d very much appreciate if you would please amend. 
• ‍I do not intend to suggest hard-and-fast rules on this.  There are many operations where persons other than the owner have executive (or least executive-like) roles.   Where suitable, I think it makes perfect sense for such persons to feel they are the right ones to come directly to me (where, of course, it’s a matter that specifically needs me).  Somewhat similarly, if you are a one-man-shop, you are by definition the executive, and obviously should not feel in the least deterred from believing you are on the right level to directly seek me. 

CC'ing Me:

• ‍Where I genuinely need to be CC'd, great.  If otherwise, I'd appreciate if you'd please not consume my time and attention with an unneeded or gratuitous CC. 

Internal Escalation:

This involves two matters of potential exception from what I above describe. 

• ‍As one matter, I continue to handle general-support overflow here.  For such reason, if all others are busy and the phone rings, I positively will pickup.  I sometimes similarly direct-handle support connections.  Where this is the reason you have me, please don't feel in the least bad about it.  There's a big difference between specifically requesting me, versus it's me you happened to get. 
• ‍As the second matter, staff here somewhat frequently escalate matters to me, particularly when they are unable to resolve a matter on their own.  In result, I may end up working with a junior-level person in your operation, as I seek to solve the matter.  Again, please don't worry in this situation. 
• ‍The bottom line, again, is I wish to be readily available when you specifically need me, and I do not want you to hesitate from directly requesting my attention (whether by telephone or email) when it's my attention you genuinely need.  Please don't hesitate.  I want to be personally available for you. 

Just, please, use respectful judgment -- so that I can be maximally available for all, plus have time for my many other duties, and maybe a little time for family too.