Feb 21 2011

Following my theme of Pink Floyd song title to title my blog posts (US & Them had more views than any other post I have written and still beats the All Hours I posted since) I write tonight about colleagues and a failure to respond.

Hello – is there anybody in there, just nod if you can hear me – or reply if you get this email! How many times have you sent something to someone expecting a reply and nothing comes. I bought a dressing table for my wife for Christmas (& her birthday which is Jan 2) from E-Bay (new, not used, I’m not that cheap believe it or not) and it has not yet arrived, I sent another note yesterday, again no reply.

I have sent several emails to colleagues on my MBA program who I have been teamed up with to deliver our next assignment (3 teams actually, for 3 different courses) and their responses are slow and sometimes non-existent.

Why is it that we love Email and yet hate it, we couldn’t live without it, so much so that we have little blackberries and I-Phones so we can get our emails day & night without having to be tied to a desk. And yet many of us don’t think it important to respond – even with a little – sorry, busy now but will get back to you on the weekend or something similar.

I know that Email is not a brilliant method of communication, although as much as people use it one would think that it is the preferred method for all communication! Why is it that we need it but feel that we can chose whether or not we answer it?

I like Email, maybe too much – I find phones annoying so if I can’t see you face to face (preferred method) then an Email is an easy way to say “can you help?” or “what is this?” or “When will I get that?” Maybe it is all my questions and requests for help or work. Maybe I should only send offers of help and completed work. That way if I stick to phones & other “live” communication methods I would get more done – then again, maybe I get so much done because I don’t spend hours in conversation!

It doesn’t really matter – we all get there in the end. Maybe I just need to relax and wait a bit longer, get some of that patience I am constantly telling my daughters to get! They usually wait a whole 3 seconds before shouting again – maybe I should give people a bit more time to reply before I “write them off” – then again – why should I?

Get off your backside and reply to the people who write to you – they took the time, give them the courtesy to do the same!