87. Acknowledge that message

Being told to wait sucks. But having to wait because no one tells you anything is even worse. I have people whom refuse to reply after 2 to 4 follow up emails. Why is it so hard to give someone an acknowledgement? A quick, “yes I’ve read this email but I’m occupied till the next two weeks” will go a long way to put someone at ease. It feels terrible to be left hanging with uncertainty for an It sucks having to wait for an answers and be left with uncertainty interminably.

I notice however that even I myself, fall victims to treating others like this from time to time. Now that I have experienced how it feels to be on the other side of the table, I want to practice to be more responsive. It doesn’t mean that I need resolve and get back to the person with a full blown answer right away. It doesn’t mean that I have to be reactive and forgo control of my time. It simply means that I will tell the person that I’ve acknowledged the message and I’ll get back to them at the right time.

I mean I’d personally love to hear more messages like this, especially from people whom I know are busy. It shows that regardless of their hectic schedule, they value you. It takes less than a few seconds to notify a person “yes I’ve read your message” and it could make a big difference to someone’s day. In this world where it’s just so easy and habitual to ignore messages, we can easily stand out when we can give people a little bit of the attention and peace of mind they deserve.