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GOT IT? THEN SAY SO!
Help Coworkers Manage Their Time
Cast a spell to keep projects moving and preserve everyone’s sanity.
Respect. Attention. Reduced anxiety. Wouldn’t that be ideal? Do your part to stamp out undue worry and avoid the diminishment people experience when they feel ignored. When colleagues send completed projects, make requests, or share important announcements over email, reply with “Got it.” This easy addition to your daily routine provides the psychological assurance that your colleagues have caught your attention—that you have received their message and they don’t have to stress. “Got it” is a superfast point of personal connection indicating that there’s a human on the other side of the electronic communication. Saying “Got it” shows respect for superiors, subordinates, and peers. Use it with clients, vendors, and current job applicants. No one wants to send notes into the ether.
While some might argue that “Got it” responses stuff inboxes with unnecessary mail, take up too much slack time, or clog iPhone arteries, a lack of acknowledgment can erode trust, spur negative thinking, and prompt overly dramatic and escalating inner dialogues:
“Why won’t she respond? She must not care about me.”
“Maybe I offended her somehow?” (Cue the time-wasting activity of going back over past emails looking for offending messages.)
“If I don’t get the information I need, this project will never get done. Why am I always the one left waiting?” (Frustration mounts.)
“If we don’t make the deadline, it’s all her fault.” (Now you’re angry.)
And you bring these feelings home with you, where you stew on them even more. A straightforward request can blow up into an emotional catastrophe. You’re unhappy. And if you confront the other person, they’ll soon be unhappy, too. A simple “Got it” could have prevented all these time-consuming reactions. Don’t be that colleague, someone who is so focused on your own to-do list that you forget that there are people out there wondering if and when they can get the information they need. Similarly, nothing feels worse than grinding away for weeks on a report, sending it over to your boss, and then . . . silence. Don’t be the manager who devalues staff by not recognizing that work was completed and received. No, electronic read receipts are not good enough. Yes, it’s their job, but don’t be a jerk. Let your team know promptly that their efforts are valuable enough to warrant the two reassuring words, “Got it.”
In addition to responding with “Got it,” if the message contains a request that you can’t immediately act on, add an estimate of when you will be able to complete the task. The ability to manage our own time is a form of workplace power. The person who makes us wait is asserting control. By providing an indication of when the requested information will be available, you allow your coworker to plan accordingly. Have junior associates sent you their presentations for edits and then stayed late at the office waiting to do revisions (while you were out at a client dinner with no intention of providing feedback until the morning)? Trust me, your team is not happy.
Well-intentioned people sometimes wait to respond until they have the answers—even if it takes days. We’ve all been there. Tending to a customer, presenting at a meeting, focusing on another priority—in essence, doing your job—may mean you are delaying or disappointing someone else. Dave in procurement asks you what you paid for plane tickets during the past three years. This will take you some time to compile. You don’t write back to Dave, even though you are working on his request. Meanwhile, Dave is left wondering if you received the message, whether you’ve forgotten about it, and what’s taking so long. Your reality? You’re a hardworking team player. His perception? You’re a bottleneck, holding up the report he has to generate to determine whether he should change corporate travel agents. “Got it” takes seconds to write and saves hours of agitation.
THIS IS FOR YOU IF
• People come to your office after their requests go unanswered.
• You assume that it’s the person’s job, and therefore don’t acknowledge when someone sends material you asked for.
• You weigh less than the number of unread emails in your inbox.
• You put on your headphones and really focus when a deadline looms . . . and pray that no one pings you with an off-topic request.
• “It must have gone into the spam folder” is your go-to response when someone chases you for the fifth time.
TAKE ACTION
Respond with “Got it” as soon as you receive a request, special announcement, or finished project.
Don’t wait until you have read through lengthy documents or completed time-consuming tasks. First acknowledge receipt.
Managing Requests
Scan your inbox daily and perform email “triage.” Respond to any emails you missed earlier that merit a “Got it.” If a request is inappropriate or unreasonable, write back right away and explain the issue. Not answering at all often exacerbates potential conflict.
Making Requests
Let people know that an action is required by stating that in the subject line. If you need a response immediately, write “URGENT.”
Include expected actions at the start of the message. If you don’t need it until next week, then write that, too. Everyone appreciates a chance to breathe and balance their deadlines.
Help your team help you. If you are prone to brainstorms in the middle of the night and generate requests while in your jammies, try filing your notes in a draft email folder. Send them out in the morning when your colleagues are awake enough to acknowledge receipt.
KEEP IN MIND
• “Got it” does not replace a full and reasoned response, so when possible, offer a projected response date. Then put a reminder on your calendar to follow up.
• If you fear that a simple “Got it” will suggest a premature agreement, respond with “received.”