Do You Expect And Value Timely Responding? You May Want To Read This.
I’m not going to lie. This article was first inspired by frustration from a repeated lack of response from others. But, I took a deep breath, chilled myself out, and redirected my inspiration to a more helpful standpoint. I personally and professional hold a high value on timely responding, a value that grew primarily from my professional experiences. Here is an example. Early in my corporate career, I learned that if people didn’t respond to a call or message, it was ultimately escalated to their manager who always had something to say about that (not the good kind of something). Luckily, I knew early on that my job required me to respond professionally to others to help them do their job so it wasn’t a big problem for me. Timely responding was something that helped or hindered your success, still is. You see, corporate is a goal-directed environment and the reality is that if you don’t respond, someone else will…. and it doesn’t fare well for the one who doesn’t. This may sound harsh to some of you but, is it really? What does “timely responding” really mean?
I read a description of timely responding that really resonated with me and I think would be helpful to you. “Timely responding is servicing others and encouraging positivity through respect.” You might be confused. The corporate example above may not have necessarily given you the vibe of positivity or respect. Let me explain. A common complaint I have heard over and over again is a lack of response from others. Please note that I am talking about everyday interactions not from a problematic “YOU MUST RESPOND TO ME!” frame of mind. When you don’t respond to others in a timely manner, you are sending a negative message. Ultimately, you run the risk of this behavior impacting how others view you. They may question your capability, sense of responsibility, or commitment. This can impact your level of success. One of the reasons people leave companies is based on a culture that doesn’t foster communication, including timely responding. It becomes too difficult to believe in your own success.
Having an expectation of others to respond to you in a kind and timely manner is a healthy expectation. Why would you want to expect others to NOT respond to you or be unkind when they do? You wouldn’t. Personally or professionally, you want to let the person know you heard and value them. This is where the positivity and respect come in. So what do you do if people don’t respond to you? You could let them know how you feel or you could simply shift your focus and attention to those people who do.
Yes, we are busy people but below are some tips that may help you be more responsive.
Tips For Timely Responding:
- Put a genuine and friendly auto-reply on your phone or email that let’s the person know you are busy on a call or meeting. This is good for vacation purposes too.
- Send a note back giving the person a quick update or status on a project or pending issue.
- Sometimes just letting the person know you got their message and will respond later is good but make sure you follow-up later.
- Add callbacks to your to-do list and check it at the end of the day.
We forget the little things when in the midst of our busyness. From a personal standpoint, don’t forget your friends and family want to hear from you too. They reached out to you for a reason and, even though some them drive you crazy, your lack of response sometimes says more about you than them.
If you were told that timely responding was tied to success, would you do it? Well it is.
Thelma Franco