With the prevalence of mobile devices and Internet connectivity, bosses and clients have come to expect immediate responses from their best workers. When your VIP—your boss, client, or co-worker who controls the information flow—sends you an email, you must respond immediately.
Often, a simple response will suffice:
- “Thanks!”
- “Those are valid points. I will give it some thought and get back to you soon.”
- “I’m on it. Thank you!”
This quick and simple response communicates that (1) you respect the sender and value promptness, and (2) you accept or acknowledge the task or information provided. Your VIPs are often very busy and are managing many tasks and objectives. By immediately acknowledging the email, you allow them to mentally outsource responsibility to you and optimize their energy.
With few exceptions, you should respond to every single email from a VIP directed specifically at you. Even a simple “Thank you!” to acknowledge receipt shows that you respect your VIP and their valuable time. Although you may feel like you are responding too frequently, excessive responsiveness always trumps lack of responsiveness.