Yesterday we examined the importance of effective follow up in the living of life. Today I would like to examine specific steps that can make you more efficient in all that you do.
The art of superb follow up begins with the ability to “tie down” the critical information gathered or next steps garnered after you’ve executed a plan. Follow up is easy if you adhere to these three simple steps:
- Summarize what you learned or said otherwise, your next steps, and put that information somewhere useful to you and to any other stakeholders involved in the project.
- Make reference to the first of your next steps on your to-do list, calendar reminders or wherever you track your ongoing projects. Do not dismiss or clear the item until it is done.
- Every time you complete such an item on your list, or have to delay its completion for whatever reason, notify the other stakeholders in the project so that the step doesn’t mysteriously disappear. Many otherwise perfectly run projects fail due to the lack of a simple update at key points.
Follow these simple steps and your efforts will prove to be much more generative over time. Far too much potential is swept under the carpet and left unrealized. The efforts you put in up front will pay off more handsomely, those involved in the project with you will love the flow of communication and lack of tension and you will become in both a general and in a very specific sense, an uncommonly productive person.
Gregory Hake 
I think the picture you picked for the post is very appropriate. It seems like projects are swept under the rug all of the time, either by the actions of a person in the group, or even as a way of self-sabotage if you are the only one with a stake in the forward movement. You can see how progress in a group dynamic can be so easily unbalanced by someone who doesn’t understand these steps. It would cause the rest of the group to constantly have to follow up with that person, babysitting them, or they would just have to resign that person’s responsibility to fate and hope that the things are being done as they are supposed to.
Wouldn’t it be so much better if more people understood these rules. There would be much less conflict and so much more progress in many areas of life.
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Thinking a little further about the matter of efficient follow-up and progression, I came up with the following:
• When it’s possible to do the thing now, do it now!
• Don’t let communications like emails drop through the cracks where they’ll never be seen again!
• Make sure a project is timely and deserves your time before letting it get started.
• Make sure notes for action have timed reminders.
• Be honest about the reasons for establishing or revising priorities.
• Regularly refresh the application of purpose to the project involved.
Enjoying this series!
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Glad you mentioned to do lists. I find writing things down and crossing them off is a positive reminder of progess and where I am in the process. A long term project has so many small steps it is very helpful to break it down to individual action steps.
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Point # three is well taken. This is probably where many projects disappear from the stakeholders collective view. Keeping each other apprised of the progess or delays keeps it current and dynamic. Many times a delay can require additional strategy, while completion may open further opportunities. When I start a new project I’d rather err on the side of too much communication than too little. The first will usually balance out but the latter can needlessly stifle a promising result. Helpful outline, thanks.
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Thanks for the outline. Your associates around you in turn can be inspired to do the same as then everyone knows that the projects you discussed are important and are meant to be carried all the way through. You set up a good precedent this way. Helpful stuff here.
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I’m sure these 3 simple steps have the power to create follow through and results in a way that otherwise slips through the fingers of many. Great advice, thanks!
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