Team Leader Training The Director’s E-mail Normal slide navigation has been disabled in order to ensure this training works properly. Macros must be enabled to complete training.

The Director’s E-mail You are hard at work when you receive an e-mail from the Director of ARI asking you a specific question about a recent project, saying that she wants to hear what you think about this issue before she discusses the topic with her boss. She’s going to see her boss at 1300 and it’s 1100 now. You realize you don’t have all the information you need to answer her question.

Question & Answer Session Q1. How do you determine the Director’s expectation in this situation? How do you figure out what’s most important?

Question & Answer Session Q2. What do you do? A) Forward her e-mail to your team and ask for their help. B) Forward her e-mail to your contractor and ask for his help. C) Write back to her saying you don’t have all the info and go to lunch. D) Wait until the next day and say you never got her e-mail. E) I hope there is another option because I don’t like any of the above.

Lessons Learned, Slide 1 of 3 What do you do? A) Forward her e-mail to your team and ask for their help. B) Forward her e-mail to your contractor and ask for his help. C) Write back to her saying you don’t have all the info and go to lunch. D) Wait until the next day and say you never got her e-mail. E) I hope there is another option because I don’t like any of the above. Answer: E. Accept responsibility for this request, and figure out a way to get the information the Director needs in a timely manner. Don’t forget that the deadline for you to respond is not 1300. Mentally put yourself in the position of the Director. She will need time to digest the information you send her and may have other preparations to do. If you call or e-mail her back at 1240 and she has already left for the meeting it’s almost as bad as not responding at all.

Lessons Learned, Slide 2 of 3 Given the very short timeline, you should e-mail her back immediately and tell her what you are doing to get the information she needs. Tell her that you will call ASAP once you have the needed information and e-mail with an update if it takes you a while to find the information. Then you need to get in touch immediately with the person who has the information that you need – by phone or in person. Clearly e-mail is the wrong choice of communication in this situation.

Lessons Learned, Slide 3 of 3 Keep in mind the pressures those above you in the organization are facing. You are responsible for responding in a way that meets ARI’s needs. Adapt your plans and adjust your day as necessary when important requests with short suspenses arise. Reprioritize activities as necessary. Be flexible. Consider the perspective of all involved, including those waiting for a response from you. Adopt the attitude that most problems can be solved, and take action to solve them, seeking input from knowledgeable others and mobilizing your professional network when necessary. Share information to keep others informed of relevant developments. Judiciously choose communication avenues that are appropriate for the demands of the situation at hand. Sometimes, e-mail is exactly what you need. Other times, e-mail doesn’t cut it. Themes Accepting Responsibility; Perspective Taking; Planning and Organizing