Observe Inspire Lead

Who makes the statement, “let’s get together sometime” and really means it?  If the invitation was sincere, it would not be for “sometime”, but for a specific date or specific date options. Being too general and non-specific will only lead to frustration for everyone involved.

Just the other day I asked someone in the office if they would start on a project “sometime soon”.  As it turns out, the other person thought I meant to start when they got around to it.  You guessed it.  They hadn’t gotten around to it yet.  I didn’t realize my communication error until I followed up with that person a few days later for a progress report.

I have thought of 4 simple ways to make sure that “sometime” DOES come.

1. Be clear with your communication of due dates.  Use specific date/time references.
2. If communication is verbal, make sure you follow it up with an email or a confirmation phone call.
3. If a colleague uses the “sometime” due date, make sure you ask for a specific date.
4. If a colleague simply says they will do something with no due date, make sure you get a specific date for this too.

Too often people assume clarity has been conveyed when in reality it has not.  Assumptions take over, deadlines are doomed and disappointment is inevitable.I am certain I am not alone in this experience.  I would love to hear your experiences in this area of sometime. How did you deal with it?