How long should I wait for information from a colleague?

[JonasP]

Question: How long do you wait for someone in the office to get back to you with a helpful piece of information.

I'm in O&M and recenlty ask someone in Engineering Construction (E&C) for their latest numbers on site construction costs including excavation, backfill, compaction and concrete. It isn't something I'm required to do on a regular basis otherwise I would probably have the information handy.

I need the information for a conceptual cost estimate of facility to compare some options using NPV. Not a huge request assuming they have spreadsheets to do these types of quick calculations.

So to sum up how long do you wait? I waited a week since the first phone call before I sent a reminder e-mail (today). I've got a copy of an old RS Means should I crack it? I'd rather have the most up to date local numbers though.

Oh and yes the person did offer assistance.

 

[controlnovice]

First lesson:

When you give a description of what the person is to give back to you, give the person the date you need it at the same time. No questions then.

Cushion the date by at least 2 days.

______________________________________________________________________________
This is normally the space where people post something insightful.

 

[msquared48]

Answer:

As long as he/she is willing to wait for you.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[macmet]

I like the saying 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'.

I found where I work that the guy I'd ask for information from is a guy who does whatever was asked of him last. If I ask for something and then someone else does 30 mins later, then I'm number 2 on his list. If I waited a week it would be so far down his 'To Do' list I'd never get it.

If the information does not require a lot of time and effort for him to find then I'd go and ask everyday or two. If he doesn't get it to you in a reasonable time start CC'ing his boss. That always speeds things up.

But, if it takes a lot of work for him to compile it and he's already working 60 hours a week, that's a different story.

 

[KENAT]

Also depends on your relative positions in the company. If he's more senior than you then badgering him may not be a good career move.

If he's junior to you though, you could ride his a$$ till the cows come home, or more usefully you get your info.

Obviously don't abuse your position but hopefully you get my point.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[GregLocock]

Might be an idea to wander by his desk and explain what you need it for and when.

As to how long is reasonable, well I can put off doing boring tasks that might evaporate, for several months. I don't know if that is reasonable!


Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[SNORGY]

When I request data / work / input, I give the person a general idea of the following:

* What the project number is
* What the task is about and how it fits in
* When I need an answer and why
* What happens if I don't get the answer

Usually, I follow up in no longer than a couple of hours after the initial request, and ask if they have had or soon will have a chance to give the task some thought. I frankly don't care how high up or how important the person is or has the self-perception of being within the company. It's my job to complete my assignments in the time frame that people give me, and if that particular individual is identified as someone I need input from, then at that moment he or she becomes someone who must support me. It sounds arrogant or harsh, but in a cooperative work environment, with the right attitudes in place and egos and organizational charts set aside, it works well.

When making the initial request, I always ask the person if they are too busy or if they are available to look into it for me, given the time constraints and their other commitments. I also tell the person that in the absence of an answer, I will default to "assumption (x)" or "action / go forward position ", and ask if they feel that that will be reasonable or safe or whatever the case.



Regards,

SNORGY.

 

[KENAT]

I was waiting on something from the manufacturing VP once. It was getting really close to my deadline that my director had given me.

I ended up saying "unless I get the information by 2:00pm (or whatever the time was) I'll do X"

This didn't go down well.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[JonasP]

Love the responses. In most cases I do pretty much what's been suggested such as, giving a brief background, seeing if they have the comptency and time and then request a reply by a certain date. When they don't reply back by that date, it's fair game to start hassling them as often as required.

The situation is a bit different, haven't been with the organization relatively long and so far haven't worked much with E&C (good old silos). I asked this more of a favour and don't really have much of a relationship with the colleague but it's the best I've got so far in E&C. This is why I didn't request a reply by date.

Given the above, is it better to ask someone else or wait for a reply. Already followed up once with no response. Crazy just about to post and get an e-mail.

 

[JonasP]

For this case it took 1 inital phone call, week wait, e-mail, 2 day wait. Not too bad, for awhile didn't think I would get anything.

 

[racookpe1978]

1) You MUST get HIS information in time to deliver YOUR answer to YOUR boss. That is YOUR deadline though - not his deadline.

Ain't no credible excuse to "He didn't get me da info" when YOUR reputation and future credibility is on the line. In the vernacular, ain't nobody gonna blame George when YOU didn't deliver the proposal to da customer on time.

2) Who is his boss? What is his boss's priorities and concerns, and does he (and his boss!) know YOUR priorities and concerns? If YOU haven't comunicated what you've been doing (who you have asked - and why) and what you have asked for - and when - to your boss, then YOU have no excuses and aren't running your little part of the the whole project.

3) What feedback has your boss given you? What have YOU done to run all the equations and plots or charts or powerpoints or layouts PRIOR to getting his actual numbers? Has your boss accepted your progress to date, and is he (or she) able to give you time to "wait for an answer from George"?

You should be a to work every detail out except the final number, printing and plotting and projecting the dummy equations while you are waiting. (Not really - that's under ideal circumstances!) But think ahead! Are YOU ready to run with his answer when you finally get it?

What if "the answer" is wrong/doesn't fit/can't work? What is your backup when he answers 1220.65 and you expect 110.1 ?

 

[SNORGY]

KENAT:

It may not have gone over very well, but if it was conveyed as a "this is what I plan to do in the absence of more definitive information" message, as opposed to an ultimatum, then in my opinion it was completely the right thing to do. It probably earned you some respect after the sting subsided, and he or she will likely pay more attention to your needs next time.

Regards,

SNORGY.

 

[tickle]

Maybe you are not getting the information because the other person thinks it is too hard. It seems like you are asking for an update on a couple of quick numbers, that you know how you are going to use.

Why not pop around to see them and ask if they have had the opportunity to look at your request, ask him how hard it is and then see if they can just give you the info?

make their job easy for them, face to face, or telecon catches more flies.

 

[KENAT]

If only Snorgy. Now it's a mute point as the Director, VP and my direct manager, are all no longer with the company for one reason or another.

Would I do the same again, maybe, but I'm not naieve enough to believe it will always pan out for the best eventually.

Didn't help in my case above that my directors deadline was somewhat artificial, so the VP's response when I did get hold of him was "we'll look at it next week" and gave the distinct impression he thought I was making a mountain of a mole hill.

Sorry, bit off topic, at least you got the info Jonas.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[SomptingGuy]

Sorry, been busy elsewhere. What was the question again?

- Steve

 

[nuche1973]

If it is something I can do in a few days, I wait a week. If it takes longer, then I check in every other day after a week. However, where I'm at, people tend to "disappear" into the meeting vortex for days at a time. So, I have found my self saying "the H--l with it" and doing it myself. Especially if the task is something new to me. I never know who's going to be where, but I know where the library will always be.