Things you shouldn't do in the office. (Volume 2)

A couple months ago I posted some fairly obvious things that you would think people would know not to do in the office, but do anyway. I have the unfortunate feeling that this type of post is going to become more regular.

This batch is a little less obvious than the last batch, but still feels like it should be common sense.

• Not following directions. - I feel that I've included the information that should be necessary. If it's unclear, you'd like more detail/justification or something is missing, please ask.


• Not reading the entire email/request/ticket. - I wouldn't have wasted my time writing it out it if wasn't important. If there are multiple questions, answer them all. If there are multiple steps, do them all. If you're uncertain, ask. So many people pick one point to focus on and miss the bigger picture...


• Ignoring parts of email/conversation that you don't want to hear or don't understand. - This is especially problematic when the answer was spelled out and you continue to ask your question in various, slightly different revisions hoping the answer will change to what you want to hear. It won't.


• Not letting people know when important, time-sensitive tasks are completed. - This is important when working on a team and people are waiting for you to finish your part. It annoys both (all) of us when I have to call multiple times to find out how you're doing and when you're done, especially when I find out you've finished days ago and just didn't send a quick email or something.

Theme of the day: Read the entire communication. Follow the directions. If you don't understand, ask. Then let people know when you're done.