Is your ASAP attitude hurting your business?
Roberta Storey
Killer Resumes that Get Interviews! ? LinkedIn Top Resume Voice ?? Call/Text ?? 724-832-8845
I have stopped using the request ASAP. As in, "can you get this to me ASAP?"
For some, requesting things ASAP is in their nature, but the connotation around 'do something for me RIGHT NOW' can be a culture killer.
Why? Sending your employee a note or request to do something ASAP implies that they are doing nothing of importance at that moment. When you ask for something ASAP, it implies that it is some sort of emergency or critical that they stop everything at once and attend to ONLY that request.
There are emergencies and then there are emergencies. We are not brain surgeons. If something does not get addressed in the next 10 seconds, no one will die. Are there projects or requests that are more urgent than others? Yes, of course there are. Now, if I have a client that needs something quickly, I will ask a member of my staff to review the request and get it back to me by a certain time, say 3 PM.
I had a resume client recently who took a wonderful job, a dream job in fact, with a large manufacturing company near her home. She went through an arduous interview process and when she accepted the role, she was elated. Less than 6 months later, she called me to have her resume updated. I was shocked. "Why are you leaving" I asked. She went on to tell me that while her boss was a great guy, he had a habit of making non-stop requests of her using the term 'get this back to me ASAP'.
At first, she just chalked it up to his high energy intensity and desire to get things done quickly. In one day, she received 11 ASAP requests, and her anxiety started to build. After a few months, she could not function in her job, could not sleep at night and was having terrible anxiety at work and at home. After having a conversation with him, he told her that if she could not juggle his requests appropriately, she may not be the right fit for the team.
She was devastated.
So the next time you ask someone for something ASAP, ask yourself, is this an emergency? And if it is not, ask nicely instead.
Communications Director | Journalist | Marketer | Publicist
2 年I've never used the demand, "ASAP." -- And after reading the article, I never will use that demand. I feel devastated for the client who was forced to resign over such a demand.
Personal & Business Financial Planning | Executive & Employee Benefits | "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail."
4 年This article is spot on.? Although I've never been one to use the ASAP request, I am still trying to be more aware of the workload of my partners and team that I work with.? We discuss the timeline in which I need something and why, along with their availability and how the request fits in level of importance of their work.? There are times where we end up finding another individual, who has the bandwidth available, to complete the task which results in quicker turnaround times and a higher quality of work.??
Retired Customer Service Representative at AT&T
4 年OMG..this was so great A.S.A.P. traditional things we use and say so often we apply it to everything without any regards to the reason and purpose it really means,..sometime you are doing something that's important then you get that A.S.A.P you stop everything for something that could have waited that extra 15 minutes it would have taken you to complete pervious task... thanks for the message..next time ,,life or death..or just a bandage ...
Senior Product Manager Salesforce (Maternity leave)
4 年When I need something urgently I call the person and ask "Hey, I need this urgently but don't know your schedule. By when you could do that for me (considering the urgency)"? Also when I am asked to do something asap I tell a time by when I could do that and ask if it is quick enough. For example: get a request at 10am and can make it by 3PM. And this always is fast enough actually. Communication should still be going two-ways. Very good article, thanks for bringing this topic up, Robynn! Greetings from Germany
ACCA Certified -Sustainability for Finance
4 年My take on this, I would normally ask what my staff is working on at the moment and if he can possibly “squeeze in” an urgent requirement. Then he needs to revisit his prioritization list and de-prioritize where it applies.