Indirectly Direct

Anonymous

June 30,2022 at 11:49PM UTC

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Indirectly Direct

Lately I've encountered issues where a person will communicate with my supervisor instead of just responding to my email even though my supervisor or a higher up is the one who asked me to reach out about an issue or with a question. I'm not sure why this is happening. I'm the kind of person who prefers direct communication even if it's no or a criticism. I'd rather be yelled at or screamed at by a person than have them go in a circle especially if there's something I need to change or do differently. Plus it's easier to solve a problem if I know it's a problem. I also have people who just don't respond to emails at all. What's up with that? What kind of person doesn't respond to a work email?

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AnonymousJuly 1,2022 at 3:24AM UTC
It's politics and a way to be passive aggressive because withholding a response in some companies is power.
Paulla Fetzek, MSEdJuly 1,2022 at 1:55PM UTC
HOLY WOW - this is one of my greatest pet peeves. People who can't respond to me why? You think I'm unimportant?
I have the benefit of being at my job for over 19 years. So these days my boss (whom I've worked with the entire time, though he wasn't always my boss) knows very well what I can/can't do. And I know the same for him.
Whenever someone goes to him on something I can do - I reply back to the person and tell them I'm the one to contact and I'll take care of it. My boss usually ignores the email as he knows I'll handle. But if people come back to him again - he forwards to me and copies them.
As far as responding - either someone uncaring, or someone incredibly busy. I'm not the former, but I am the latter. On average, I receive 30 emails a day. And each is very detailed and complex. Some of them I confess do fall by the wayside. But I really try to at least reply with "I received your email and am working on it." And I'll send this same message again every few days until I'm able to address the email or forward to someone who can!
AnonymousJuly 1,2022 at 2:35PM UTC
Have you brought this up to your supervisor?
Audrey KirschJuly 8,2022 at 4:05PM UTC
Big pet peeve of mine is when I don't get an email response. It's just plain rude and a bad business practice. It shocks me when a client thanks me for getting back to them. Seems simply a part of my job but guess not everyone feels the same. As to the person trying the work around in responding directly to a supervisor, it's a power play. They are treating you like you are insignificant. They are trying to put themselves in front of the supervisor for any number of reasons. Next time you email them include a note (in bold or highlighted) to advise them that they need to respond to you directly. Let them know that if the supervisor wanted direct contact they wouldn't have requested you get the information in the first place.
Rynn StrangeJuly 11,2022 at 11:34AM UTC
Let the superior know this is happening, then invoke the name of the superior who requested you do this and copy them on the email. "Mr/Ms ABC requested I contact you regarding... Please respond to me by X:XX tomorrow morning with the information requested." If that doesn't work, request a meeting with your superior and the employee in question to find out why they do this. I'd have to agree, they have a specific reason for the circumvent.