Another lesson, another rant...
I've heard it often over the past decade or so--usually said with a tinge of a whine--but I also heard it five times over the past two weeks, which sparked this here post.
"It" is:
"But I sent you the email!"
And if I'm worth my chops as an amateur prognosticator, I'm sure nodding your head in affirmation as you've heard it at least a couple of times yourself.
You know what it means--the fact that whatever was suggested in the email has not been done...and it's your fault.
This kills me.
I get over 150 emails a day. Add to that countless voicemails, texts, Facebook messages, LinkedIn correspondence, and the fact that I'm usually sequestered in meetings while getting them. That said, here are three things to keep in mind about the email that you sent:
- Just because you sent it doesn't mean I got it.
- Just because I got it doesn't mean I read it.
- Just because I read it doesn't mean I acted on it.
An email is half a communication. It's like the proverbial tree falling in the forest; if nobody's there to hear it, it doesn't make a sound. Well, if your message isn't properly received--the other half of a communcation--it doesn't make an impact.
This is not to say that every email has to be obsessively followed-up until the sendee collapses in exasperation. It is to say that if it's of any importance, it's the responsibility of the sender to ensure closure. Or to at least ensure the message has been received, completing the communication connection.
Pressing "send" does not alleviate you of responsbility. It does not put your burden on my shoulders. That's a cop out.
And if things don't get done the way you want them to, it's not my fault.
It's yours.