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How long should it take for my manager to get back to me?

How long should it take for my manager to get back to me?

Question:
I emailed a superior at 9:30 am, requesting a confidential phone meeting tomorrow or at some point this week. I rarely email him. I did not hear anything until 4:30 pm when he sent through a meeting invite and followed it up with an email saying, “No problem.” What are your thoughts on the response time? B.P., Austin, TX

Answer:
That’s great news! He did exactly what you asked and actually went the extra step of scheduling the appointment. I gather from the way you framed your question, though, that you expected a faster turnaround time.

Judging others’ behaviors based on your standards is a no-win. What’s urgent to you is not necessarily urgent to others. You have no way of knowing what other projects, decisions, or priorities your manager is dealing with.

As humans we take disparate facts and make up disempowering stories (he’s avoiding me, etc.) to keep us “safe” (if we imagine the worst, we won’t be hurt). Don’t waste your energy on a possibly inaccurate scenario—and even if it’s accurate, what do you gain by going down the rabbit hole in advance? Instead, make up a neutral or empowering story—he has a lot on his plate, he’s clearing his calendar, etc. That way you can save your time and energy for more productive things.

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