Why is it so hard to get people to do their job, need to vent.

[53' Stude]

At work we rely on emails as I suppose all companies do to some degree so when I need someone to do something whether it's to customer service, a designer or even management I email them and wait. I've complained as well as a few others have about things not getting done. Managements response has alway been to email them again if you haven't heard back. I say bull , we're all adults here, I shouldn't have to nag you to do your job. So over the last few years I stopped doing it and many times have been approached asking why X isn't done, my response has been 'I sent them an email on x/xx/xx". Needless to say but it doesn't go over very well but I'm sticking to my guns on this, it's why I sent you an email so if you don't have time to do it now you will see it later and do it.

/rant

We have kids that don’t clean up the bay they work in. And they half rear ended work. They whine I make what I make; so what. Boss fired 3 guys yesterday.

I do what I’m told, worry about ME ONLY. Simple

 

[Leo99]

I email, then I text message, then (if it’s important) I call. Problem with calling is, no one answers their phone, EVER! I answer mine, but for some reason others don’t feel like it, too busy…

My extended team has about 40 members and there's only one person that ever calls my work phone. And he calls a lot and rambles and rants.

 

[PontiacHO]

If your approach hasn't worked so far (clearly it hasn't), why would you double down on continuing the same approach?!?

That just seems like an intelligence test that you have failed.

There's a lot of different ways to motivate people to do things. Some overt, some implied. A true leader can interpret the team and circumstances presented to him and adapt to the situation in a manner that results in success for all.

Sounds like you’ve never supervised before. Not to bash but some folks don’t understand anything but “do this again and you are fired”. Adults work.….not children.

 

[supton]

My extended team has about 40 members and there's only one person that ever calls my work phone. And he calls a lot and rambles and rants.

Thankfully I don't have to deal with that... all the same, OMG don't call me, I won't pick up. If email was disruptive then in-person conversations bring all work to a halt for however long the conversation has to take. Send an email, take a number and wait in line.

if I only had to work on one thing at a time I might feel different, but juggling lots of things, with minor to major concentration required, means i have to filter a lot in order to get anything done.

 

[Bud]

After reading all this I am so thankful I retired back in 2007.

 

[DuckRyder]

I wish they would take Microsoft office away from the entire enterprise.

I get so many idiotic e-mails and IMs. I am not going to spend much time trying to decipher code, also if I get to the word leverage, tactical or phrase bubble up… it’s deleted. Tell me what you need succinctly and in plain English. And I’ll take care of you.

 

[Imp4]

Sounds like you’ve never supervised before. Not to bash but some folks don’t understand anything but “do this again and you are fired”. Adults work.….not children.

LOLOL, do you usually jump to uninformed conclusions like this?
10+ years direct supervision here. Both blue collar production and engineering management.

Remember, it's not about getting the job done your way, it's simply about getting the job done.

 

[Dave Hess]

I work in healthcare and seen some very shady things.

Theres problems in all career fields.

Lots of people don’t want to reply to an email because that proves they acknowledge an issue or problem(s) that they don’t want to face. Playing dumb is easier for them.

 

[Koainn]

 

[Leo99]

LOLOL, do you usually jump to uninformed conclusions like this?
10+ years direct supervision here. Both blue collar production and engineering management.

Remember, it's not about getting the job done your way, it's simply about getting the job done.

I just took training a few days that touched on that. How to be a better leader in today's remote workforce. One of the takeaways was being flexible and learning how best to motivate employees and keep them engaged.

 

[jeepman3071]

Everybody knows when it's time for them to retire.

This was one of the issues that made me move on at 60.

Some people know, others don't. There are also those who know they should, but don't care and coast. I have some on my team, and because of longevity they are some of the highest paid on the team, but contribute the least. Makes for a tough work environment sometimes.

 

[dlundblad]

I send one email.

If I don't hear back by COB, I email again and CC my manager or director.

I usually get a reply.

I had to do that when I tried the office thing. Usually made people mad, but we we’re talking 3-5 working days with no reply.

Another annoyance was people who just emailed about things when an actual physical real world task needed done. You know, one that entailed them getting up and walking more than 20’.

 

[dlundblad]

Some people know, others don't. There are also those who know they should, but don't care and coast. I have some on my team, and because of longevity they are some of the highest paid on the team, but contribute the least. Makes for a tough work environment sometimes.

That’s my wife’s current boss. Hes just coasting..

She’s changing employers mid month. No more 1st shift-3rd shift every week while she is supposed to have a day shift position. She’s been doing this for about 2 years now while it was supposed to be temporary.

 

[Pablo]

Funny story.

I don't care that much any more, because retired.

I sent an email about a high priority urgent, serious matter about and I am not kidding, a potential failure mode in high reliability space electronics (sat propulsion) to my boss ................NOTHING. Others knew of this about the same time, I cc'd them as well.

A day or two went by. Next thing I know he's in my face yelling why didn't I tell him. I told him "I sent you a high priority email"

Him "I get a lot of emails"

 

[GMFan]

Back when I did consulting engineering the unspoken rule was reply to emails within 24hrs. Due to workloads this was sometimes impossible to do. It’s hard to design and be constantly interrupted by a stream of emails and phone calls pulling you in 15 different directions. Some emails require an hour of work - I.e an architect changed something for the 20th time and wants a bulletin drawing ASAP. If you email them back immediately they’ll call and say they need you to drop everything and make it a priority. Meanwhile you didn’t answer their voicemail or email in 2 hours because you had a conference call and deadline and before you know it it’s 7pm. It was like being hunting like a wild animal. Every client thinks you sit their waiting for their call and expects to be treated like a priority.

Then the client would copy you on an email to your manager. Manager would walk over and say “make this a priority”. So you drop your deadlines to get it done. Project manager asks where his drawings are and blasts you for letting the deadline slip because you followed what manager told you. It was a fools errand.

I blame management for spreading everyone too thin. It got to the point where I shut my email off in the mornings, opened it for a few hours in the afternoon to handle the emails and close it out again. Otherwise I couldn’t get anything done.

Some people maybe have less demanding jobs, but I know many people who got so many emails every day it would be ludicrous to try and answer them all.

I quit that place because they paid you 40hrs but wanted 60hrs a week out of you. I did the 60hr thing to “help the team” and it was just rewarded with no raises or bonuses, just more workload since “I was the one who could get things done.” So I quit industry and moved to different engineering work for a more sane employer and industry.

I suspect many people who don’t email you back are in similar situations - spread too thin. Complain to management - not the guy in the trenches digging - manager will yell at the trench digger to dig faster and then leave to go golfing. Leadership these days is a joke.

We’ve become a society of instant gratification. Does anyone remember when you wanted to contact a company you wrote them a letter and put it in the mail and would receive a response after a few weeks?

Maybe if your job is writing emails all day and not doing real work your job isn’t actually productive or useful? Pick up a shovel. We have way too many chiefs these days and not enough Indians…

 

[PWMDMD]

Funny story.

I don't care that much any more, because retired.

I sent an email about a high priority urgent, serious matter about and I am not kidding, a potential failure mode in high reliability space electronics (sat propulsion) to my boss ................NOTHING. Others knew of this about the same time, I cc'd them as well.

A day or two went by. Next thing I know he's in my face yelling why didn't I tell him. I told him "I sent you a high priority email"

Him "I get a lot of emails"

My staff communicates with me verbally, via IM and via email depending on the nature of the issue. The more serious the issue and the more time sensitive the issue the more likely it will be verbal communication or IM and the less likely it is going to be an email. This just makes sense to me. I'd be pretty ****** if there was a major/potentially catastrophic issue and they just dropped me an email but that's just me.

I'm not railing on you...I have no idea what systems were in place at your former company and perhaps that is what your boss wanted but it seems to me every company needs some tiered system of communication depending on the nature of information. I'd be totally irritated with 100% verbal communication and equally irritated with 100% email communication. Most of the people outside my business also subscribe to this tiered system. If it's not urgent the accountant emails but if it's time-sensitive or important he calls me. If I have an urgent issue and need to communicate with another doctor/dentist I pick up the phone and if it's not urgent I email them.

The goal is to minimize phone/verbal communication because they are the least convenient for most people but sometimes it is the best way to communicate mission-critical information.

 

[Pablo]

My staff communicates with me verbally, via IM and via email depending on the nature of the issue. The more serious the issue and the more time sensitive the issue the more likely it will be verbal communication or IM and the less likely it is going to be an email. This just makes sense to me. I'd be pretty ****** if there was a major/potentially catastrophic issue and they just dropped me an email but that's just me.

I'm not railing on you...I have no idea what systems were in place at your former company and perhaps that is what your boss wanted but it seems to me every company needs some tiered system of communication depending on the nature of information. I'd be totally irritated with 100% verbal communication and equally irritated with 100% email communication. Most of the people outside my business also subscribe to this tiered system. If it's not urgent the accountant emails but if it's time-sensitive or important he calls me. If I have an urgent issue and need to communicate with another doctor/dentist I pick up the phone and if it's not urgent I email them.

The goal is to minimize phone/verbal communication because they are the least convenient for most people but sometimes it is the best way to communicate mission-critical information.

You got my point.

PS this was a LONG time ago. Email was new. Cell phones weren't a thing. He was rarely in his office and leaving a phone message was even larger waste of time. Boss after that clearly and nicely laid out modes of communication.

 

[palmerwmd]

At work we rely on emails as I suppose all companies do to some degree so when I need someone to do something whether it's to customer service, a designer or even management I email them and wait. I've complained as well as a few others have about things not getting done. Managements response has alway been to email them again if you haven't heard back. I say bull , we're all adults here, I shouldn't have to nag you to do your job. So over the last few years I stopped doing it and many times have been approached asking why X isn't done, my response has been 'I sent them an email on x/xx/xx". Needless to say but it doesn't go over very well but I'm sticking to my guns on this, it's why I sent you an email so if you don't have time to do it now you will see it later and do it.

/rant

telecommuting leads to less work getting done.
On days I telecommute my productivity drops.

This is why I still come to the office even though it costs me some gas $$.

 

[PWMDMD]

You got my point.

PS this was a LONG time ago. Email was new. Cell phones weren't a thing. He was rarely in his office and leaving a phone message was even larger waste of time. Boss after that clearly and nicely laid out modes of communication.

Well then there are these emails - we are moving our 401K and so we have a new advisor, new TPA, and new record keeper. I received this email two days ago, which is addressed to 8 people across all four different organizations:

"Good afternoon all,

Hope you’re well! We are almost finished reconciling your assets on our system. I have one question that I’ll need your direction on – there is currently $554.17 in the plan’s expense account (held in the money market fund) which we will map over accordingly.

However, AF does not hold the expense account in a particular money type. Our system needs to. In this situation we typically assign the assets to the “Profit Sharing” money type.

Is this ok with you?

Thanks!
Megan"

Not only do I not fully understand what's going on, I'm not sure who she's really asking and who should be the one to respond. It's my plan but like I said I don't understand the intricacies of the conversion or what is "typically" done or what is even legally required and I really didn't have time to delve into it so I said nothing for 2-days and when I woke I read this email:

"Assuming that was a forfeiture, the only source subject to vesting would be the PS, so putting it as PS makes sense to me.

Best Regards,

Tamara"

Awesome! Someone else responded and it didn't have to be me!

 

[supton]

Awesome! Someone else responded and it didn't have to be me!

Will say that is the upshot of many getting spammed, the odds increase in getting a response. And occasionally one learns something new.

I love the “find messages in conversation“ feature, i just grab all at once and file, when I get around to email.