Monday, June 29, 2009

Efficient Corporate Communication 101, Part 1

[begin email chain #1]
Email #1 (from MK to TK): We can connect to the STP server using the FTPA user.
Email #2 (reply from TK to MK): Can you please ask LP if that is really the right user?
Email #3 (forward of Email #2 to LP, cc TK): TK wants to know if the FTPA user is the right user to connect to server STP.
Email #4 (reply from LP to MK, cc TK): That's fine.
[end email chain #1]


[begin email chain #2]
Email #5 (from TK to MK): The FTPA has been given the ability to write to the directory on the STP server.
Email #6 (reply from MK to TK): Didn't work using the password I have for that user. Not sure if the FTPA user is setup with access to that server. Or we have the wrong password. You'll have to get in touch with the server folks and figure out what needs to be setup to get access to the server.
Email #7 (reply from TK to MK): I'm not sure how this works. Can you check with LP and TT to see how they've handled it in the past?
Email #8 (forward of email #2 to LP and TT, cc TK): TK wants to know if you guys know how to get this setup?
Email #9 (reply from TT to MK and LP, cc TK): MH should be able to help.
[end email chain #2]


[begin conversion #1]
TK: Why can't TT just go talk to MH, since they're in the same office location. It takes 5 seconds to walk to his office.
MK: Why can't you just call MH yourself?
TK: This just really inefficient. Why can't TT talk to MH and figure it out instead of telling me what to ask MH?
MK: Why couldn't you just send emails to LP and TT yourself instead of sending an email to me asking me to send them an email and cc you.
[end conversion #1]



This is the model of efficiency. Email me to ask someone else a question that you want to ask and cc you so you get their response. This can't even be blamed on bureaucracy, its just an unwillingness to do something for yourself.

My favorite part was the complaining about how inefficient it is that someone wouldn't do his job for him, but instead was telling him what he needed to do. Sometimes I just don't get people.