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Post by Really Red on May 21, 2021 15:12:21 GMT
I have a fabulous contract job while I'm looking for work. I love what I'm doing and most of the people with whom I work. It is a tiny team of 4 people. Three of them are perfect - responsive, kind, helpful and the fourth? Well, there always has to be one. She (I'll call her Daisy) seems SO pleasant when we met the first few times, but she never ever responds to me.
The team has been together a while and I know they really like each other. I do not want to rock the boat at all, but I have to do some work with Daisy. She says she wants to meet so I give her loads of time I'm available to meet with her. No response. Twice now, I've waited one week and wrote something like "Hi Daisy - I hope my emails are getting through [there have been some issues with gmail so I switched to a different account]. Have you had a chance to XY or Z?"
I copy the director because the director asked me to. But last Thursday, it had been over a week since I expected a response from her (really, really simple responses to two questions) and I sent another note to her. That was the second. She immediately responded and said can we get together? I said sure and gave her availability every single day through today. Nothing.
I don't care if someone says they are busy or they can't get back to me for a bit, but I am a contractor and I am walking a fine line here. I need her help or I cannot move on. Her colleague is nothing but fabulous in his help and time for me (and I shared that with the director in hopes she would read between the lines or even ask me how Daisy was doing).
Do I wait until the end of today and send another note copying the director? It feels so tattletale-y and I hate that. She also may have a ton on her plate, but why can't she can tell me that, if that's the case? Why can't people just do their job?!?!? I really need to stay on everyone's good side here.
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Post by elaine on May 21, 2021 15:16:42 GMT
Can you call her? I find that people - if they answer their phone, are much more responsive to setting a date on a phone call.
If not, I would include on this email and future emails that you expect a response by close of business on such and such date. Some people need clear deadlines to get them to respond. I also would email her the day after she misses the deadline and each and every day until you hear from her.
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psiluvu
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,217 
Location: Canada's Capital
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Post by psiluvu on May 21, 2021 15:18:30 GMT
If someone isn't doing their job and you cc' their superior it's not tattletaling. Tt's trying to get a job done efficiently and properly. I think waiting a week for a response is MORE than enough time. I think her superior needs to give her a kick in the ass or at the very least explain the proper business etiquette of prompt replies
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Post by busy on May 21, 2021 15:19:51 GMT
Can you use a tool like Calendly so she can directly pick a time that works for her and avoid the back and forth hassle of trying to pick a time via email?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 24, 2024 12:26:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2021 15:20:16 GMT
I’m assuming the director is the one who secures the contractors? If so, CYA and cc her when you send a follow up email. Otherwise, the director may think you are the one responsible for the delays.
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Post by freecharlie on May 21, 2021 15:36:55 GMT
My principal sucked at choosing a time when I sent him a bunch of options.
Send two times for her to choose from and ask which works better for her.
Or send one time with an invite. If there is a conflict, she can decline. If not, the meeting is set
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scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139
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Post by scrappington on May 21, 2021 15:39:57 GMT
Don't give to many options for time. Set one time and go with that.
That way she can say oh I need x time
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Post by katlady on May 21, 2021 15:46:54 GMT
Do you have shared online calendars? Look at hers, find an open time and schedule a meeting. And CC the supervisor.
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Post by Basket1lady on May 21, 2021 15:56:30 GMT
I would call her. That way you can show that you tried multiple ways to reach her. And I’d cc everyone and their mother. I’m really tired of being ghosted with stuff like this. It’s become my new pet peeve. (Yes, I’m waiting for a response from someone and it’s extremely time sensitive.)
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Post by scrapmaven on May 21, 2021 16:02:07 GMT
ITA that you should call. Then you can give her a which close. "Which time works best for you? Am or pm? I have a 10:30am or an 11:30am. Which one works best for you? She might be flighty or perhaps she's not ready for your meeting and is stuck and not telling anyone. You'll have to be more assertive. Are you in the office together or telecommuting? If you were in the office I would recommend that you make an offer to bring in am coffees so that you can sip coffee during your meeting. Take her order and then she can't escape.
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Post by nlwilkins on May 21, 2021 16:09:14 GMT
When it is business - I would only wait two days at the most before calling. This is your job AND hers and if she is having problems, you need to know at the soonest. If she cannot do her job, then it is on her to let you and your boss know.
Also you need to instigate a policy among all business associates that when messages are received they are to be acknowledged by the end of the day. Just a simple "got it" would suffice so no one is left wondering.
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Post by catmom on May 21, 2021 16:32:24 GMT
Different companies have different expectations regarding response times. I personally wouldn’t put in place a response time rule, especially as a contractor, if it isn’t part of the cultural norm.
Also, not defending Daisy but I used to get over a hundred emails an hour, everyone wanting something from me or my team, “just a couple quick questions”, “just a few minutes of your time”. So she might be flighty or possibly disorganized or possibly just overworked. And she may be deprioritizing you, if helping you meet your deliverables takes time away from meeting her deliverables. Which is a long rambling way of saying:
If you have alternates to email, especially messenger service, use those. Make sure you specify the questions in the text or email. If it’s coming from your director or for a specific project, say so. If there’s a deadline, especially to complete work for a bigger deadline (vs inconveniencing you) say so. If you want a meeting, look at her calendar, if possible, to check availability, and just book it. Finally, if you are at the point of missing your deliverable because of this then definitely CYA and cc the director. If it’s not at that point then maybe check with the director or colleagues (if appropriate) that Daisy seems busy and do they have suggestions on how to help her respond to you.
Sorry that’s so long lol.
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Post by bc2ca on May 21, 2021 17:18:56 GMT
Send two times for her to choose from and ask which works better for her. Or send one time with an invite. If there is a conflict, she can decline. If not, the meeting is set  If at a glance she sees you have a ton of options, she prioritizes setting up meetings with people giving her less options and just never getting back to you. Giving her a week before following up also sends the message that there is no urgency IMHO. |
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Post by Really Red on May 21, 2021 17:31:40 GMT
Different companies have different expectations regarding response times. I personally wouldn’t put in place a response time rule, especially as a contractor, if it isn’t part of the cultural norm. Also, not defending Daisy but I used to get over a hundred emails an hour, everyone wanting something from me or my team, “just a couple quick questions”, “just a few minutes of your time”. So she might be flighty or possibly disorganized or possibly just overworked. And she may be deprioritizing you, if helping you meet your deliverables takes time away from meeting her deliverables. Which is a long rambling way of saying: If you have alternates to email, especially messenger service, use those. Make sure you specify the questions in the text or email. If it’s coming from your director or for a specific project, say so. If there’s a deadline, especially to complete work for a bigger deadline (vs inconveniencing you) say so. If you want a meeting, look at her calendar, if possible, to check availability, and just book it. Finally, if you are at the point of missing your deliverable because of this then definitely CYA and cc the director. If it’s not at that point then maybe check with the director or colleagues (if appropriate) that Daisy seems busy and do they have suggestions on how to help her respond to you. Sorry that’s so long lol. Thank you. Because I am a contractor and haven't been there all too long and they have, I do not want to rock the boat. I do not have any deliverables. I work a lot faster than my SMEs because I have one thing to do and they have many, so I am always waiting on them. The questions I have for her are so SO easy though. (Like - can this information be found on XXX site? or how often do you need to access this account? type of thing) Alas, I do not have alternate methods of contacting them. Of course, I can continue to "remind" Daisy that I am waiting on her. She may well be busy, but I do know what she does and it's absolutely not hundreds of emails even weekly. I think that I am going to suggest to the director to give her (Director, not Daisy) a weekly list of what I have done and where I stand on everything. I used to do that for my team and maybe I can include all of them. For example, I am working on A (meeting with J next Tuesday to finalize) B (meeting with S Wednesday for first draft) C (sent D final draft 5/5. Waiting on response.) Does that sound obnoxious? |
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Post by catmom on May 21, 2021 17:58:45 GMT
Really Red that sounds like a perfect solution. This way you keep your director updated on everything you are working and they can see your roadblocks without you having to call Daisy out. It's also helpful for performance reviews etc, if that's a thing for contractors at this company. I would actually suggest doing it for one week and asking the director if it's helpful or not and if they would like a different format - bonus points for being proactive, communication and for requesting feedback lol. And if it comes up, you can just ask the director "if there's anyone/anywhere else you can go to for the information so that you can be efficient without adding to Daisy's workload".
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Post by mollycoddle on May 21, 2021 18:08:34 GMT
Different companies have different expectations regarding response times. I personally wouldn’t put in place a response time rule, especially as a contractor, if it isn’t part of the cultural norm. Also, not defending Daisy but I used to get over a hundred emails an hour, everyone wanting something from me or my team, “just a couple quick questions”, “just a few minutes of your time”. So she might be flighty or possibly disorganized or possibly just overworked. And she may be deprioritizing you, if helping you meet your deliverables takes time away from meeting her deliverables. Which is a long rambling way of saying: If you have alternates to email, especially messenger service, use those. Make sure you specify the questions in the text or email. If it’s coming from your director or for a specific project, say so. If there’s a deadline, especially to complete work for a bigger deadline (vs inconveniencing you) say so. If you want a meeting, look at her calendar, if possible, to check availability, and just book it. Finally, if you are at the point of missing your deliverable because of this then definitely CYA and cc the director. If it’s not at that point then maybe check with the director or colleagues (if appropriate) that Daisy seems busy and do they have suggestions on how to help her respond to you. Sorry that’s so long lol. Thank you. Because I am a contractor and haven't been there all too long and they have, I do not want to rock the boat. I do not have any deliverables. I work a lot faster than my SMEs because I have one thing to do and they have many, so I am always waiting on them. The questions I have for her are so SO easy though. (Like - can this information be found on XXX site? or how often do you need to access this account? type of thing) Alas, I do not have alternate methods of contacting them. Of course, I can continue to "remind" Daisy that I am waiting on her. She may well be busy, but I do know what she does and it's absolutely not hundreds of emails even weekly. I think that I am going to suggest to the director to give her (Director, not Daisy) a weekly list of what I have done and where I stand on everything. I used to do that for my team and maybe I can include all of them. For example, I am working on A (meeting with J next Tuesday to finalize) B (meeting with S Wednesday for first draft) C (sent D final draft 5/5. Waiting on response.) Does that sound obnoxious? That sounds perfect. |
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