Head of International Project Management Office| Deutsche TelekomPraha, Czechia
I came across a way of working some years ago, that I appreciated from colleagues of another country.
I used to send emails and then to expect that necessarily the answer would come. Sometimes it may not be the case and I appreciated when I saw other colleagues that where just following up to the email and forwarding it again.
On the one hand it may seem too much in certain situations. In other situations I think that this is a lessons learned, in the sense that if we send an email of request this does not mean that we have concluded the task and it is good to make a note for ourselves on our tools with a remark such as "in x days, forward the email and ask for a follow up". The task is closed when we get the answer, not when we send the email.
What do you thin of this way of working? Saving Changes...
It really depends on the individual, how important they perceive the task to be relative to the rest of their workload, and their recent "track record" of being responsive and completing work on time. As usual, one size does not fit all.
One of the ways of encouraging follow through is to use tools which create transparency for all such as a visual work board which shows how long an action or work item has been aging and can change its color based on how "stale" it has got.
When individuals know that everyone is aware that their action is lingering, they might be motivated to complete it or at least provide a revised estimate as to when it will be complete.
I completely agree that actions should be closed when you get the answer back, not when you send your email request.
Emails are relatively easy to ignore, claim they were overlooked, or forgotten. In my personal action item list, I keep a note of requests sent, and close the action with a note summarizing the outcome.
For followup, I try to be more direct if possible. Ask first via phone, IM, or whatever your standard is for real-time communication. Follow up with the email. "Hi Laura. Per our phone conversation, here is the summary of the request. Could you please get back to me by...?" Then they can't claim they don't know the request is coming. Log it in your notes or set a reminder.
If the response isn't received when expected I try to give them a quick friendly IM or call as a reminder rather than just forwarding the original. If they missed the first email, what is to say that they won't miss the followup also so a quick personal interaction can save a lot of time and headaches. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
The way I agree with all the stakeholder before starting the endeavor. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
I completely agree with you. I typically send follow-up reminders if I haven't received a response within a certain timeframe. The timeframe is usually determined by the urgency of the issue, but in many cases, a follow-up is definitely necessary. Saving Changes...
Laura Lazzerini absolutely agree with you. Following up solves a lot of issues that can later cause several roadblocks in the project. One thing that I normally do is I inform the stakeholders in the beginning of the project what the preferred mode of communication would be. This helps in setting a benchmark.
Based on milestones, I would inform the stakeholders for example through emails and ensure proper documentation of every conversation as well. Depending on the client, we wait for a certain period and then we definitely follow up. I keep track of the tasks and conversations that are yet to receive a response from the client. This helps in ensuring we are still on track with the tasks and personally, I believe this helps the clients understand that we dont ghost them and we ensure the completion, even if it means we follow up on the tasks ourselves. Saving Changes...
Oala RaruaManager Geology and Exploration| Ok Tedi Mining LtdPapua New Guinea
After sending a request on email, I give people time to respond as my email could be one of the many emails in their inbox. After a few days of no response, I do the follow up with a phone call in which I remind them of my email request, and this compels them to open the email (amongst many other 100's of emails) while we are on the phone to see my request and action it. Often that action requires 2min of their time (example to book a flight) but it is often delayed as emails often that drowned amongst other emails. Therefore, a quick phone call helps with follow up and I urge my team to do same. Saving Changes...
Curtis SmithProject Manager| Sarasota County GovernmentParrish, Fl, United States
A task is closed when you share the outcome with everyone who needs to know. Good PMs always "close the loop". Always. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Laura I'm a strong believer in personal interaction. Before sending an email, I prefer to have a one-on-one conversation to discuss the requirements in detail. This allows me to thoroughly explain what I need and why, and to ensure that the other person is fully committed. Saving Changes...
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