Seeing Things Through
October 9, 2017
We’ve all been there. We’ve finally managed to get up to date with our own tasks, but we
can’t complete the overall piece of work because we’re waiting for someone else to do their
bit.
We’ve all got a few days down the line, only to realise we never actually heard back from
that person with the information they promised us. In the meantime, timescales have slipped,
deadlines have been put at risk and opportunities have been lost.
Being organised and efficient in the workplace is key, but how can you be methodical and see
things through when your work depends on other people, who may or may not do what they
say they’re going to do?
Step aside, To Do lists…
Of course, every business person and employee worth their salt keeps a To Do list in one
form or another. But we’ve noticed that fewer people keep a note of all the ‘Pending’ actions
that form part of their workflow.
Without actively tracking your pending tasks – those which you can’t finish off until you
receive a response from someone else – not only do you end up with the constant sense that
you’re forgetting something, but you risk letting things slip through the net altogether. It can
be unnecessarily challenging to try and just remember all those “spinning plates”.
For instance, when we’re waiting for clients to review CVs, or candidates to return calls
about potential temporary assignments or interviews, we can’t afford to lose track of who
should be coming back to us, with what and by when. Rather than leaving the task hanging
with the other person, we pop their action onto our Pending list and either chase again or wait
for as long as is sensible / appropriate.
The Pending list is simple to put into practice and can be easily applied to any of your
existing systems for managing your workflow. You can keep a pending list as a sub-section
of your existing To Do list, a separate folder in your email inbox, a distinct tray of work on
your desk, or hand written in your daily book.
The key is to capture these actions somewhere reliable, in order to get them out of your head,
and then revisit them periodically to chase up the response you need. It may seem obvious,
but you’d be surprised how many people don’t take a formal, organised approach to tracking
this crucial category of tasks.
As a busy and thriving recruitment agency, keeping on top of our Pending list allows us to
ensure the thorough, efficient and effective service that our clients and candidates deserve.
How you can see things through
Maybe you’re reading this because you’ve finished everything on your To Do list… but do
you keep a Pending list, and if so, have you checked it recently?
Is there anything there that you could move along, chase up, and be proactive about without
crossing the line into being irritating?
Are you certain you’re not on someone else’s Pending list, with opportunities just waiting to
develop as soon as you take your next step?
Our aim at Time Recruitment is to continue to set efficient high standards in the hope that
everyone involved in the business relationship actions and communicates really quickly and
effectively… and we will continue to use a very simple pending system to keep our minds as
clear as possible.
The outcome? So much more could be achieved in half the time and great candidates could
be assisting great companies exactly when each party needs the other.
If you’d like to discuss this (or any other blog post) with us in more details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
