One of the things that I used to say to college student leaders during trainings for Break Away was the number one rule of anything you do - be it schedule volunteer work, manage a meeting, or fund raise - is “follow up.” The second rule: “follow up.”
When it comes to making good things happen, there is simply no better way to demonstrate that you are a person others can count on and invest their time, energy, or money in than following up and getting back to people. There’s also no better way to show that you simply care… which in “doing good” is really the most important thing there is.
In the process of making good things happen it’s also important to acknowledge and support those around you. Your “teammates” if you will.
Along those lines, Sam Davidson over at CoolPeopleCare had this 5 minute tip for all of us
Do you remember a few weeks ago when your friend shared with you that her mom was sick? Or can you recall how last month your coworker shared that his family was going through a rough patch? Think back to when someone close to you shared a concern and follow up with them today. It’s easy to remember someone when tragedy or sorrow is fresh. Take an extra and meaningful step today to let someone know you care about them as they carry on in the midst of hardship or loss. Your smile and question makes a big difference.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Jared Goralnick // Jun 25, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Amen on the first tip especially. It’s all about the follow-up. Some people just don’t get it…
It’s not just about being good at what you do or how you solve your friends problems. It’s also about being responsive and seeing things through–which is all about the follow-up.
Jake, you might like this article of mine, called Over-communication is underrated
2 Clarissa // Jul 1, 2008 at 12:13 am
Huh, good point. It takes energy wondering what wordlessness means. A response like, “Yo, I’m caught up in the web(by’s), glitz, glam, and Blackberry’s,” or, “Woops! I fell in love with a barmaid,” can be deliciously human — but any response would do better than non-response. So says Simon, “Silence like a cancer grows…” It’s not just a matter of politeness or business, it’s karma on the line. It’s about protecting the tiny cosmic people-particles floating around the insensitive Internet. Ok, ok — exquisite exaggeration — but I think over-communication is indeed underrated, while under-communication is overlooked.
On a side note, I wonder if, in general, one “cares” by following up, or if they follow up because they care? Or perhaps this is where we can see that “cool” and “good” — though not mutually exclusive — are not the same thing?
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