#03 Empathy - Speak to Convey
This is the third and final article in the "Empathy" series by one of my dear friends. In case you've missed the first two, please start from here: https://bit.ly/2zo2gw6
Continuing with our set of empathy articles. We focus on communication skills of an empathetic individual.
As an empathetic individual, what you speak and what you intend to say are usually same. There is not an iota of pretence. Transparency and clarity are the two key ingredients of any empathetic individual.
The buzzword – ASAP has been misused so often that it’s essence – the sense of urgency is lost. It shows there is an utter lack of planning on the part of the individual. When everything in the world has to be delivered ASAP then nothing will actually can be completed.
In fact, when I worked for a firm, during my initial time there, I was asked to create 5 proposals in one day. (It was an impractical and unempathetic request, but I still attended to thinking it is critical for the business). Individual’s like me feel that ASAP means drop everything and attend to it immediately. After 22 days, I was asked for the same set of proposals in the same tone – “I am travelling and it’s ASAP!” Sadly, when it’s so blatantly misused, I have now changed it to read As Slow As Possible!
We have loaned the word from the defence services. The use of ASAP is justified because it’s a matter of life and death for the defence. But the parlance in corporate world doesn’t really make sense. In fact, it means “As soon as Practical!”
As the Leader, it’s your responsibility to help prioritize the tasks. You have to convey the required time frame to your team. Does the usage of ASAP actually convey the same? Why don’t you focus on what you want to convey instead?
Alternately, simple statements convey the information in a more empathetic manner where it clearly states in a crystal-clear manner what needs to be done, and by when.
“Z task needs to be completed and sent to the client by EOD today. Kindly take it up at the earliest. Let’s check in post lunch to see the progress.”
Another aspect that’s misused is the status messages such as Do Not Disturb or Busy! How so ever trivial it may sound but an individual’s understanding of such terms and respecting such terms defines your level of empathy.
As a final note, leaning a food for thought:
In this Agile world of business, do we really need any place for ASAP?
Independent eLearning Consultant | Freelance Instructional Designer + eLearning Developer | Articulate Storyline, Rise 360, Vyond, Evolve, Camtasia, Adobe Creative Suite
6 年I so agree with the ASAP analysis. ASAP is a much abused term and I'm glad that you've pointed it out. Perhaps after reading this article, more people will consider using it prudently.?
Retires Scientist G & Scientist In charge MERADO Ludhiana CSIR / CMERI and Ex Commander (Indian Navy)
6 年Loved the analysis of ASAP
Senior Learning Strategist at TEKsystems
6 年Loved the simplicity and thought provocative nature of your piece. Some thoughts that I listed out after reflecting on the article. - I think the last two words ” As Possible” shouldn't be overlooked. I agree with your thought that providing a quantitative time point ( like by the end of the day or 6 pm) can make goals clearer within a team. It's always beneficial to communicate with your boss what you think ASAP means to you. -The other aspect is awareness of the asker ( boss/ manager in your example) with respect to what an A grade proposal looks like which will take say, 10 hours to prepare versus what a solid C grade proposal looks like which may require lesser time to complete. Side observation-when the bosses are transplanted from unrelated departments suffer from such a Knowledge gap. They have a bird’s eye view on the process and therefore, unrealistic delivery expectations. For instance, a business dominant background boss heading the instructional design team may not have the realization. -The culture ( my tinkering place) may also play a role in this. I have experienced when a using ASAP meant a few days and a few hours or by the end of the work day. It's all contextual :)