Don't Become Labeled As Unresponsive
Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash

Don't Become Labeled As Unresponsive

My first boss told me in no uncertain terms: THESE ARE THE RULES, and they should never be broken if you want to be successful.

  • Every phone call should be returned within -twenty-four hours. Even those from people you don’t know.
  • Every memo should have a response by the next business day. Even if the response is, “I am in receipt of your memo, stay tuned.”
  • Each piece of correspondence received should be acknowledged and a response prepared and returned within three business days.

Today, it is rare to make a phone call or to receive one. No one even knows what a memo is anymore, and no one receives written letters unless the letter is from the IRS. The rules have changed and are now, well, a little ambiguous. There are some general guidelines, like:

  • An e?mail needs to be returned the same day. Probably.
  • A text should be returned in five minutes. Probably.
  • And a phone call? Depending on who it is, maybe someone will get around to it eventually.

Some would say that these guideline response times are too slow. This group would say an e?mail should be returned within the hour and a text within a minute. This same group would be forgiving on returned phone call times because this is the group that never makes phone calls or would die before posting an automatic out?of?office response.

Others would say e?mails, texts, and calls are the source of all distractions and inefficiencies. This group would choose not to be measured by response time.

The workplace is moving so fast today that “the quicker the response, the better” is always a good rule. Acceptable and exact response times today are a moving target with lots of variables that dictate the right answer.

One thing I do know: to be labeled as unresponsive in today’s workplace is the kiss of laziness and a step toward the exit door.

[feel free to follow me or add me on LinkedIn]

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Richard is the author of the new book The Thing About Work: Showing Up and Other Important Matters [A Worker’s Manual]. You can follow his writing on TwitterFacebook, or at his website at richardmoran.com.

Richard is a noted San Francisco based business leader, workplace pundit, bestselling author and venture capitalist.


Chris Kent

Chemist, polymerist, graphic tinkerer, technical copywriter, and whatever else gets me inspired

6 年

As a general rule, if you need a response urgently then an email is not your best approach. Pick up the phone. Communication only works if you know the other party is taking part.

Charles ElKhoury

Marketing Manager EMEA, CSS at Integra LifeSciences

6 年

Consider how (the urge for) quick responses could affect focus, productivity-as the author eluded to, and even the quality of some responses. Timeliness is important, depending on the industry you work in and/or the context, but prioritization comes first. My two cents...

Michal Glowacki

Translation agency for ??Cycling, ??Running and ??Triathlon Brands |?? CEO @ Endurance Translations |?? Cyclist | ?? Triathlete | ?? 2x Ironman Finisher |?? NVC practitioner

6 年

That's all very true. On the other hand - answering messages within 5 minutes is probably not very productive, so finding the right balance is key, if you're in my line of business. If I can't reply to an email promptly, I do try to write "I'll get back to you later/in the afternoon/ in the evening as I'm currently xxx". I think leaving en email completely without reply for 24 hours is not the best practice.

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