Who’s on 1st? Avoiding email confusion when assigning tasks
Who’s on first? That was the famous punchline of the comedy duo Abbot & Costello which played on the frustrations and confusion of vague communication. When it comes to teamwork we can often find ourselves confused as to ‘who’s on first’.
You’ve all received this in your inbox, an email which ‘cc’s‘ several people in your organization asking for a particular task to be completed. It could be from a customer, your boss or a coworker. It probably reads something like this…‘hey, I need this done by Friday. Let me know when it’s done. Thanks, everyone’. Everyone? Who is everyone, and who will be ultimately responsible for making sure this assignment is completed?
The temptation in group communication is to absolve yourself of responsibility being convinced that someone else will do it…but will they? Much like a fly ball landing between the center and left field, shared responsibility can lead to shared failure. How can you avoid such confusion in the workplace?
1. Set a new standard. Reach an agreement that any email requesting that a task is completed include (1) a description of the job, (2) the specific person responsible for completing the task, and (3) a clear…
Hey! We’ve all have something in common…problems. It should come as no surprise yet what some struggle with is the ability to face our problems leaving them unsolved.
Would you like a four day workweek? While this may not be possible for many wouldn’t it be nice to have Friday’s as your day to catch up, strategize, and plan for the following week?
Perhaps you’ve attended the same classes I have. Self improvement, time management, fitness training, or business coaching. While it is exciting to embrace the idea that we can in fact improve, often times we are setting ourselves up for disappointment because we are in fact, fighting with ourselves. Welcome to Friday’s Food for Thought, brought to you by Open Mortgage, where better is possible.
Is your workload unmanageable? Does your to-do list far exceed your available time? You could be getting a reality check. In our ‘do-more’ society being busy has been mistaken as the hallmark of success.
Perhaps one of the crowning achievements of civilization is music. It impacts our emotional state of mind, energy and focus within seconds. “People’s minds tend to wander, “and we know that a wandering mind is unhappy,” Dr. Soodsaid. “Most of that time, we are focusing on the imperfections of life. Music can bring us back to the present moment” said Dr. Amit Sood, who practices integrative medicine at the Mayo Clinic. Do you need some melodic relief?
I am bracing myself. For what? The fact that my once quiet gym will be crowded with those starting their New Year’s resolutions. The good news is that by February there should be plenty of room and machines to choose from during my early morning workout. All kidding aside, resolutions do hold some value but many fail.
If you find yourself constantly distracted at the office unable to work on a task, it’s time to leave. Too often the tyranny of the urgent robs our time and prevents us from dedicating our attention and time to projects.