You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Yes -- that about sums it up. They could have at least advertised it so I knew not to waste my money.

They do advertise it

[Wormius]

Is OOTC possessed by the spirit of Harold Ballard?

[Ped]

Submitted a bid for a contract. They emailed three questions the other day.


Question 1 was normal.
Question 2 2 was normal.
But then underneath Question 2, it said "Ask them" and then a question.
Question 3 was that question.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Agreed. They don't read or suck at skimming.

Someone literally asked me the same question 4 times in an email chain. Basically it was an email with like 4-5 comments, then shaved down to the remaining questions, then responses of, "As per the previous email... your answer." and the previous email was literally 2 sentences, total of like 12 words.

I basically include, "If you don't respond, you agree to X" now on emails. I can't always ask an open ended question because people don't know how to handle that. However, if I default a decision by a certain deadline, they'll respond to avoid or accept that decision. I dunno if it's a psychological thing or whatever, but this method has worked for me.

Emails are for summarizing and documenting conversations. If there wasn’t a conversation about what info you need and how that info will be used then email is about the worst way to ask for something.

[Brendone]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I didn’t even know adults still collected cards, except as some kind of potential investment. Like, what do you do with it after you open the pack? Look at it for a second, reminiscence, and then immediately misplace it and forget you ever bought the things?

What else are you supposed to stick in your bike spokes to make it sound like a motorbike?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Brendone

What else are you supposed to stick in your bike spokes to make it sound like a motorbike?

I want to see a meme of the OP sticking a Manon Rhéaume card in his spokes and wiping out.

“oow, damn women hockey players!”

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by GGG

Emails are for summarizing and documenting conversations. If there wasn’t a conversation about what info you need and how that info will be used then email is about the worst way to ask for something.

With WFH and people's schedules just stupid these days, emails are pretty much the best way to ask something now externally. Plus I have that documented for CYA when they claim I didn't ask them.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

With WFH and people's schedules just stupid these days, emails are pretty much the best way to ask something now externally. Plus I have that documented for CYA when they claim I didn't ask them.

But you didn’t really ask them. To ask for information you need to ask them and get confirmation they understand the request and a timeline for completion. If you are just emailing someone you are just shouting into the ether.

I agree with follow up for clarity and ass covering.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by GGG

But you didn’t really ask them. To ask for information you need to ask them and get confirmation they understand the request and a timeline for completion. If you are just emailing someone you are just shouting into the ether.

I agree with follow up for clarity and ass covering.

What messed up industry are you in?

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Is OOTC possessed by the spirit of Harold Ballard?

You guys know that not caring about women’s hockey doesn’t automatically make you a misogynist, right?

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by GGG

But you didn’t really ask them. To ask for information you need to ask them and get confirmation they understand the request and a timeline for completion. If you are just emailing someone you are just shouting into the ether.

I agree with follow up for clarity and ass covering.

I literally say "Hey, to proceed with completing this task, we need the following information from you:
- <insert list here>"

Are you saying that isn't good enough?

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

You guys know that not caring about women’s hockey doesn’t automatically make you a misogynist, right?

Agreed.
I don’t care about a lot of sports and organizations but if I state specific ones I’m considered anti-them. Which doesn’t make sense if I simply don’t care. They don’t affect me or my life really. You do you. And I don’t expect anything from others who aren’t the interested in my interests. There’s no “how DARE YOU…” or insult or WW3 if they don’t enjoy the fine time honoured game of tiddly-winks. So don’t give me any of this “woke” crap, whatever that is…

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I literally say "Hey, to proceed with completing this task, we need the following information from you:
- <insert list here>"

Are you saying that isn't good enough?

Be happy they don't call an hour long meeting to confirm everything you already told them to confirm what you need. Than have them committ to not knowing when they'll get any answers.

I turn my camera off in meetings so they can't see me smash my head against the table.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I literally say "Hey, to proceed with completing this task, we need the following information from you:
- <insert list here>"

Are you saying that isn't good enough?

Am I aware you exist? Am I aware of the project we are working on together? Do I know why you are asking and how your content will be used. Have I told you my current work load and they your request doesn’t rank very high on the corporate priority list? Have I told you that providing that information to you is not in the current scope of work that I do and this has been discussed numerous times before? Have I just flat out said that we don’t have the resources to support that request?

If this is a project that we are both working on and I am generally aware of what is going on on the project the scope has been assigned to my group and I know how the info is being used then your email might be appropriate. And even then there is no discussion of when you need the info by or any consideration for if I have time to provide that information to you.

I read my post back and I sound incredibly difficult to work with but I’m not really. I just want to understand what you need as opposed to what I interpret you are asking for before I put effort into the task.

Your email after we have had a conversation about what you are looking for is a great way to summarize the request. Is even add as per our conversation we agreed this will be done by x date.

I’d also argue that that the idea that people need to read every email they get an unreasonable corporate requirement that leads to inefficiency and burnout.

[81MC]

I don’t give a #### if you don’t read a single email. You know, unless it’s that assignment email where I am giving you critical information that you will need to do your job and I am the only one who will be giving you this information.

Like, imagine you decide to take a trip but you don’t even bother to look at the itinerary or airplane ticket, insets you just stand inside the terminal yelling out for direction in what plane you’re supposed to be on.

I don’t send them for my own benefit ffs.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by GGG

Am I aware you exist? Am I aware of the project we are working on together? Do I know why you are asking and how your content will be used. Have I told you my current work load and they your request doesn’t rank very high on the corporate priority list? Have I told you that providing that information to you is not in the current scope of work that I do and this has been discussed numerous times before? Have I just flat out said that we don’t have the resources to support that request?

If this is a project that we are both working on and I am generally aware of what is going on on the project the scope has been assigned to my group and I know how the info is being used then your email might be appropriate. And even then there is no discussion of when you need the info by or any consideration for if I have time to provide that information to you.

I read my post back and I sound incredibly difficult to work with but I’m not really. I just want to understand what you need as opposed to what I interpret you are asking for before I put effort into the task.

Your email after we have had a conversation about what you are looking for is a great way to summarize the request. Is even add as per our conversation we agreed this will be done by x date.

I’d also argue that that the idea that people need to read every email they get an unreasonable corporate requirement that leads to inefficiency and burnout.

Sounds like our jobs are too far apart to find consensus. I'm in engineered project sales so most of my emails are with external contacts such as customers or suppliers. If we are emailing each other, there is already a good reason. Either it's for a quote requested, or processing an order that's on the go. So they should already know who I am and realize the importance of replying.

From the sounds of it, you are talking about mostly internal team communications, that's not what I do. And that just sounds incredibly frustrating, inefficient and likely why I left a job like that already in the past.

[Brendone]

If you don’t know how to communicate clearly via email and chat, you’re the new “internet is just a fad” person.

[PepsiFree]

I’m pretty sure the obvious answer is that different communication methods are going to work best for different organizations (based on size, collaboration needs, project types, etc) and the only thing that matters is that everyone is on the same page.

Emails, chat, task comments, meetings, etc aren’t objectively “for” anything. They’re for whatever your organization says they’re for. And unfortunately there are always going to be people who don’t really get it.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

You guys know that not caring about women’s hockey doesn’t automatically make you a misogynist, right?

Posting a gear grinder over a $1 pack of cards being wasted and boycotting them in the future over a couple being from Team Canadian women’s hockey team is kind of looking like it, no?

I guess you understand that if 99.9% people dropped a loonie down a storm drain would not care about if after the initial 10 seconds of disappointment. That’s kind of the normal reaction to opening up a pack of cards that didn’t have the players you wanted.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by GGG

But you didn’t really ask them. To ask for information you need to ask them and get confirmation they understand the request and a timeline for completion. If you are just emailing someone you are just shouting into the ether.

I agree with follow up for clarity and ass covering.

Yeah, you sound like you're in a ####ed up situation (no offense).

My email with 4-5 points was literally summarizing a phone conversation as per their request. One of the items was payment amount and method which was communicated over the phone. The external client asked about how to pay 3 more times in subsequent emails claiming to have forgotten the discussion over the phone. I shaved off the other information that they acknowledged in the 4-5 original points and left the remaining information they didn't acknowledge until I was like, "FFS, I know you can't remember the phone conversation, but can you read the summary of the phone conversation I sent via email?"

And external email, "Hey, client. I'm working on your file. Can you send me the following requested information? Thanks".

Or, "Hi client, following up on XYZ information. If you don't provide it by X date, I will assume you do not have any." Thanks.

Or, "Hi client, your file is complete and you have been sent the information. Please acknowledge you have received the package. Please email me back if you have any concerns or email confirmation that you are OK with us proceeding to finish off the file. Thanks."

Whatever you're mentioning sounds more like it's more efficient in a chat, rather than email. I hate people with email chains that sound like a text convo.