THE IMPORTANCE OF URGENCY

Have you ever received an email asking you to do something that you thought could wait a while, only to find out you needed to do it sooner? What was it about that email that led you to believe the task or request could wait until you remembered to come back to it? On the flip side, when you get an email or a phone message that is asking you to complete a task and you do it immediately, what is it about that message that causes you to comply with the request as soon as you receive it?

Last week, a friend of mine was talking about an experience she had with the elementary school her daughter attends. A few weeks back, she received an email from the school office that went something like this:

Dear Parent,

In reviewing your child’s vaccination record, we see that she is due for her Polio vaccine.
Please let us know when this has been completed.

Thank you,
Elementary School

Being the busy mom, wife, and business owner that my friend is, she filed this task in her memory bank as important-but-not-life-threateningly-urgent and went about her day. Based on the email, and the fact that school would be over for the year in about 9 weeks, she decided to wait until summer when it would be easier for her to schedule an appointment for her daughter at the local clinic for a vaccine booster.

No biggie, right?

WRONG

Fast forward to a few days ago and my friend gets a phone call from the school.

“Mrs. Jones, we wanted to follow up on our email to you regarding your child’s Polio vaccine. She cannot return to school until it has been updated.”

Now, as you can imagine, my friend was less than happy about this. For starters, school ends for the year in roughly a month and a half and her daughter is not likely to contract Polio in the next 6 weeks. What really got my friend upset was that the school acted like it was an emergency to get this done, but in no way did they convey that in their original email to her.

Now, why am I telling you this story? It’s not to get you riled up about the ridiculous amounts of emails that schools send to parents these days, or the politics of vaccines…we don’t do that here. I wanted to share this story with you to help you understand the importance of communicating urgency and specificity in your daily correspondence.

Let’s re-examine that email from the school. First, there is absolutely nothing in there that would have triggered this parent to think that this was a do-this-right-away urgent task. There is no specific deadline stated and no consequence for non-compliance. It is a vague, generic email in terms of urgency. In no way did that original email signal any need for immediate action.

Let this be an important lesson for you as a business owner, professional, leader, or anyone that asks people to do things: always be clear and specific when you need something done. One of the traps we can fall into, especially when relying on email or text to communicate, is that the other person will automatically know the deeper details of our request and they will assume it is as urgent as we know it to be. People are busy and they cannot read your mind. Unless you give them a specific deadline for a task, they will assume it is not urgent.

What can you do as a communicator to help combat misunderstandings or missed deadlines stemming from poor communication? You don’t want to sound demanding or aggressive, but depending on your profession, things need to happen within certain time frames. Sometimes we fear that communicating directly and assertively will be received as aggressive and pushy. Most of the time, if you are clear and direct and let the other person know you value their time, you will not be received this way.

Let me rephrase the email from the school in a way that would have been far better received by my friend, and properly conveyed the urgency for the task. (Let’s assume that the original email was sent on March 1st)

Dear Mrs. Jones,

Upon review of your child’s immunization record, we have determined that she is due for a Polio booster. Please have your child’s vaccine updated by March 8th and provide the updated vaccine record to us.

If this is not completed by the deadline, your child will be unable to return to school until her vaccine is updated.

To assist you in this, we have included a list of local doctors or clinics that can help you get this done quickly and affordably.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your quick attention to this matter.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Elementary School

Notice that this example contains the issue/task, a specific deadline for task completion, and the consequence of not completing the task by the deadline. Had my friend received this email, she would have treated this situation differently. Although inconvenient, she would have made the necessary arrangements to have her child immunized and her record updated with the school without issue.

Now, I want you to remember that urgency comes in different levels. If something is needed immediately, it is always best to get on the phone, if possible, to speak with the individual that will complete the task so it is completed more quickly. Most of us will give the greatest attention to the tasks that are right in front of us (or ringing in our ear…) so a phone call is going to get answered before an email.

If the task is urgent but not emergent, send an email that is clear and direct using this formula:

1. Specify the task/request
2. Confirm a specific time/day/date deadline (avoid using vague terms like “as soon as possible”)
3. Define the consequence or repercussions of not completing the task by the deadline
4. Convey understanding and appreciation of the other person’s time and assistance

Pro Tip: While steps 1-3 are vital to the success of conveying urgency, step 4 is what will win you the other person’s attention and assistance with your request. People want to know that you respect and appreciate their time and assistance in getting things done. Your email should be short and simple so the message of urgency does not get diluted, but you should always remember to acknowledge the other person and the potential inconvenience that your request may cause. If you can be of assistance to them in completing the task, offer that as well (for example, the sample email offers a list of potential places the task can be completed).

Urgency is simply external motivation that causes us to do things because we fear the consequences of not doing them. In retail, this is used all the time. Ads stating “limited time offer” or “this week only” tell us that if we don’t buy an item in the allotted time, we will miss out on the deal. Let’s be real, FOMO is a real thing and I’d bet we are all guilty of indulging our fear of missing out. Whether you are a school secretary, a business owner, or a corporate executive, you should be using that same motivation when communicating tasks that are time-sensitive.

I hope this post has helped you develop some clarity in ways you can be more effective in setting deadlines and sending requests. If you have time-sensitive items that need attention quickly, keep your email short and your deadlines and consequences specific.

I’d love to help you zoom in on issues you are facing with communication! Maybe you need help writing clearer emails, creating templates that can save you time, or sounding more confident when you speak. Whatever your needs, I would love to get to know you and see if we would be a good fit to work together! Click HERE to book your FREE discovery call and see how you can make communicating YOUR superpower!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ciao for now!