SCOTT DOW -
"Research from the Harvard Business School confirmed what parents already know...and it's that nagging works.
Parents nag their kids about chores, and the research shows that managers that are deliberately redundant with all their requests get better results than those who aren't.
Now, you may think we're all adults here, so I shouldn't have to ask more than once, but you do. Especially if you don't have direct authority over the people you manage. And that's more and more the case. We operate in a cross-functional world, and people work in teams that form and they disband on a project-by-project basis. You're managing the project, but you're not the manager of those people. You're not their boss. You didn't hire them, and you can't fire them. You're responsible for this project, so you have to nag.
Even if you have direct authority over people, you still have to ask more than once. Now, it's easy to assume that your requests are going to be taken more seriously because they work for you, but they usually aren't. So you have to nag, too.
The best way to nag is to mix it up and slowly accelerate. So nag face-to-face, through instant messaging, text and email. Nag in meetings, nag one-on-one, and nag in groups. You can even nag in the hallway and nag in the break room.
The research showed that the quality of your nagging wasn't as important as the quantity or amount of nagging. So don't spend time crafting a long email explaining once again the importance of your request. Just send a quick reminder through Teams or Slack. You can turn up the heat by accelerating your reminders. You might send an email reminder and an instant message at about the same time.
Trust me, they'll get the message and you can set the expectation up front. Now, here's what that might sound like:
"I know you're busy. I know you get too many emails and that you're going to get things done. But I send a lot of reminders that are meant to be helpful, so please receive them in that spirit, okay?"
So warn them up front and nag away. Think of these as little nudges, not nagging. You're just doing your job and following up."
Thanks for listening. You can email us at info@mentalnotes.com. Feel free to share with your colleagues and follow us on all major podcast platforms.
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