No Shortcuts for Follow-up
Confession: Follow-up is something I have to work at—a lot. It doesn’t come easily. I like moving on to something new. I like a new project, a new focus, a new step. Which means if I’m moving on, I’m risking leaving something undone. Not followed up.
One more confession. I tend to create and use my own “shorthand” when making notes, sending texts or using a whiteboard. So “by the way” becomes BTW; “for your information” is FYI; and “follow-up” gets shortened to F-up. When I shortcut that last one, I generally have two thoughts: 1) Oops…that may not be helpful on the whiteboard or in the text. 2) That’s exactly what happens when I fail to follow-up.
I’ll just leave that right there.
Consider the books I’ve written. I began working on them months and months before there were due. I started. I researched. I outlined. I drafted. Then something else came along. A phone call came in. I met another friend. There were other projects to complete. Life happened, and it kept happening. The book was put on hold. Friendly accountability and deadlines proved necessary in the follow-up process.
For me, whatever is happening “right now” is the most important thing happening in my world. Which means following up is challenging. It requires discipline.
It’s especially important when my follow-up directly involves someone else. Follow-up is about care. Care is communicated when I...
· follow-up on someone whose spouse died a month ago.
· return a call to a guest or client whose question wasn’t answered.
· remember to ask a team member about their job interview.
· call a guest by name an hour or a day after I first met them.
· respond to an email.
· finish a book.
How about you? What’s in place to help you remember? To help you follow-up? What’s in place to make sure your staff and/or volunteers do the same? What’s still sitting on your desk? Who is it you need to call? Who would benefit from a quick note?
Go ahead. Now. Pick up the phone, a pen, a keyboard. Follow up.
People really do matter.
