You might think that sending work emails isthe worst.
Its the second-worst.The worstis waiting for people to reply to your work emails.
And some people just never reply, no matter how much you follow up.
Alex wont answer my emails asking about getting the integration set up.
Im beyond frustrated at this point, because this isnt this first time Alex has done this.
The less analysis Alex needs to do, the more likely they are to take action.
I generally send a bullet-point list of what I need.
So do it as soon as possible.
As Will Smith once said, the time to go to a couples counselor is when youre still happy.
Of course, now your boss will be getting a bunch of extra emails, but thats their job.
Switch modes of communication
Can you Slack?
Is your Alex more likely to respond to these methods?
Try one.But only one.
Apologize for the intrusion, or give an excuse for switching modes.
And thats important, youre switching, not piling on until Alex cries.
Switching to Slack so we can break this task down better.
Or: Switching to text just so we can whip this thing together by the deadline.
Or: Hey Alex!
I called cause we can probably fix this without a million emails.
Dont leave a voicemail though.
Voicemail is just email but worse.
It also puts the problem in front of your team and your boss.
You might need to hit the reset button.
This helps defuse a multitude of psychological/emotional blockages.
Sorry about all these requests, this is just a really important project.
Swallow your pride and indignation, and be friendly.
you better makereplyingfeel less stressful thannot replying.
By being friendly, youre also giving your Alex a reset button, a debt forgiveness.
Whatever approach you take, remember that youll probably have to deal with this person again.
The happier everyone comes away from this, the easier it will be next time.
Until the day you quit, or Alex gets fired.
