“I very rarely return any voice messages”

This advice is dangerous if misinterpreted. I think the advice is reasonable for messages from people that you don’t know: “This is Company X, please call us back at…” It is unreasonable for messages from people you know well or, even worse, your colleagues at work.

People do in fact use this approach at work and it’s the “I’m too busy, if it’s important then they’ll call back” syndrome. Well, other people’s time is important too and why should they have to keep calling this person until he answers the phone?

I know people who have the same rule with e-mail: delete it and if it’s important then the person will call. Well, if a colleague doesn’t reply to e-mail or voicemail, why bother trying to reach them at all? That person has effectively cut themselves off from all of their colleagues who do not sit in the office next door. If most employees operated that way, companies would cease to function.