If there is one thing that could be called the mantra for success, its follow-up. You need to follow-up with yourself and you definitely need to follow-up with others. Even Gods need follow-up, our prayers are nothing but following up with God :).
The importance of the email and the chances of it not being read are inversely proportional as is the old style snail mail’s importance and it getting lost. We live in a world where email, sms and WhatsApp are the means of communication. Thats the science of follow-up. Sending repeated emails, sending emails with “reply requested” in the subject line, sending emails with the “read” receipt prompter etc.
The art of follow-up is doing all of the above and also calling and if need be meeting in person. So lets take the case of someone’s travel – you send the itinerary on email and assume all is well. The person lands up fuming that the car never came to pick him/her up. How do you avoid this? Send the itinerary and ask for acknowledgment and if the acknowledgment isn’t received, call and confirm. Close the loop !
I give advance warning to my coachees and new folks on my team that I will follow-up if I don’t see them closing the loop.
Follow-up on having fun too.
yes, follow ups are pretty important. back in the Army, when I pass on order, I would tell them to give me a feedback on the progress on a time scale because passing an order alone does not accomplish the task in hand. Exception reporting, Management by exception, assumption that things would go well if nothing is reported back , do not go well with the work culture of the people that we normally deal with.