Get It in Writing!

• Ask for a short written note
• Ask for an E-Mail confirming the work to be done, due date/time, and key stakeholders who must be notified
• Write the E-Mail yourself with the necessary details, then ask them to confirm back by E-Mail that they’ll get the job done

There’s another variation on these practices that you could use, but you need to be sure that it will work. This variation follows the assumption that “silence means acceptance”. You write the aforementioned E-Mail, but you add text that says, “unless I hear otherwise from you, I expect that you will deliver on this commitment by such-and-such a date.” This can work, but you’d better make sure there’s established precedent in your workplace for using this type of confirmation. This may be a written or unwritten rule in your office, which is great. However, I’ve seen numerous situations where people will not consider anything a commitment unless they formally send an acceptance, signifying the commitment. I’m too paranoid to rely upon silent acceptance.

The Benefits of Written Confirmation

Written confirmation is a positive affirmation that the job will be delivered as requested. This in itself is worth its weight in gold, which is becoming more valuable each time I check the markets. However, there are a couple of ways that written confirmations help your colleague as much as they help you:

• Written confirmation establishes the importance of the request and reduces the likelihood that it won’t get done
• Written confirmation also serves to embed the request in your memory in some fashion. Think about note taking for a moment. Yes, notes are helpful as “memory joggers” after an event occurs. However, I think note taking actually helps embed the commitment into your colleague’s brain so it can be recalled later. I’m speaking both from personal and anecdotal experience.

So there you have it. Getting a commitment in writing has so many benefits that it’s a wonder that we ever believe things will get done without them. Some colleagues may feel this practice is insulting and unnecessary. If they persist with this opinion, try the arguments in this article. I think they’ll help you convince them that written commitment is not just for your good, it’s for their benefit as well.