I also say “thanks for the update” or “thanks for the head’s up!”
“I really appreciate the head’s up!” also a classic
If I haven’t gotten back to someone in a swift enough period (i.e. one work day max) I say “thank you for your patience. after some consideration, I have decided…”
don’t apologize for piddly things!
thank you > sorry
I need to remember
thank you > sorry
Thank you for waiting for me > sorry for being late
Thank you for helping me/for your time/for listening to me > sorry for bothering you
Thanking someone when they do you a favour > apologizing for your existence
This is especially hard when you haven’t been taught that people need to respect your limits, but with a bit of practice you can absolutely get there!
My manager would always remark that, “Perception is important.” And I would sort of shrug but now I’m really “getting” it. People will perceive you differently based off what you show or tell them (kinda like social media).
Truthfully, I don’t think you can be too honest about your work to anyone (outside of your close friends and family), especially to your work colleagues. Take my situation for example. Since working from home since mid-March, I’ve been doing my work diligently and meeting all of my deadlines.
Am I straight working for 8 hours? No. I’m doing laundry, cooking, hanging out with my dog, etc.
Are all of my working hours busy and crammed with work? No. There are slow periods during my work day.
Would I ever flaunt to my manager or colleagues that I enjoy working from home because I can do other things during the work day such as laundry, cooking, etc and that work can be slow at times? Not really. It would give the impression that I’m not hardworking and lack initiative.
Instead, I tell them I enjoy working from home because I no longer have to commute from work and have more time in my day. I tell them I meet my deadlines and I love my home office. I tell them working from home allows me greater flexibility in my life.
It’s not lying, but it’s making things appear “glossier” then they are. Or with a more professional tone.
Perception is very important. Be very mindful of your professional work image and how people perceive you. Don’t say things that may impact how people see you.
Hey guys, pausing on the archaeo-jokes for this post to share a pro-tip from the archaeological consulting world, as I’m seeing this a lot lately: if an archaeology company has been in touch with you about work, and they send you an email or call you and leave a message, do not sit on the email for a few days before replying. Consulting moves fast - if you’re not sure about something they’re asking you (e.g., are you available for such-and-such), you should still email back as soon as you’re able to, even if it’s just “I’m not certain yet, can I get back to you by [insert day/time]?”
This probably applies to a lot of jobs. When we’re planning a big project, we need to know who we have available, because it influences whether we contact additional people, how many rooms to book if we’re travelling, etc. Otherwise, we have to proceed assuming you’re not joining the team, and then might have to scramble if/when someone replies to an email.
