What does ASAP mean to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So when you are working on a priority item that is due within an hour and you get an email that is asap, you just drop what you are doing?

I never have ghis issue with my other coworkers and when I’m the one on the receiving end U always ask about the urgency when U’m eirking on a priority item, and I always get the answer that they don’t need it right away.

No, you ask which should be the priority.

That said, for clarity, if I send something that truly needs to be a priority to someone I know is working on other time-sensitive things, I say so. "Please make this your priority over xyz. If this is a problem please let me know."

[Anonymous]

"Can we get the check please, asap" vs "can we get the check, please, when you get a chance". For me, ASAP means now, because even though I might be doing something else more important, the word "possible" makes me doit, because it is possible to get them the check before the other important things.
But also 'asap' and 'now' mean now in my culture, not like in 2 hours to 2 days for my friend. We laugh about it all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that ASAP means fairly high urgency/priority, push other things off. I also think that there are two ways of handling this on the asker and receiver side. Asker can says: Will it be possible to complete this priority by XX date/time? Receiver can also, in getting an asap request say, "of course, currently I am working on Larla's project, with a deadline of X . Would you like me to prioritize Z?"


In fact this happened to me yesterday. I had a deadline for something yesterday but the head of our org had a need for something 'asap'. I clarified the timeline of asap (before an international flight that night!) and then I told first group that I had a new priority from the big boss, and I would turn the other thing around this weekend (yay working all weekend...after coffee and dcum).

This is exactly what the employee did - clarify which thing should be higher priority. Then OP was confused because he didn’t understand why the employee was doing that.

Op needs to apologize to the coworker asap.
Ordering someone to do something asap, the person asking for clarification on prioritizing work (because the asap made no usage sense), and the being told a made up definition via Op arguing is NOT A GOOD LOOK. At a minimum. You prob dropped 30 In points to whomever in the room heard you arguing that ASAP means whenever.

[Anonymous]

OP are you convinced yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP are you convinced yet?

He’s probably still stewing about the “attitude” that the employee had, the absolute nerve to ask him to clarify the conflicting priorities.

[Anonymous]

ASAP definitely conveys immediacy/urgency and is lazy. Be specific: I need this by COB Monday. Please have it done by the end of the week. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASAP definitely conveys immediacy/urgency and is lazy. Be specific: I need this by COB Monday. Please have it done by the end of the week. Etc.

Exactly. Using ASAP and then acting like it wasn’t to be treated as urgent is classic manager gaslighting. Do better, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought it’s obvious since it literally an acronym for “As soon as possible” meaning NOT right away, but when you get a round to it. I used this in an email to a staff member and he panicked because he read this as right away. Gave me an attitude because apparently he had a lot of stuff that needs to do first. I did not understand what we was going on about at first, until he explained it was because I said ASAP and that meant now? I explained back that this is not what it meant and that if he needs to do something right now then I would have said so.

So, this got me into thinking, do people actually think ASAP is equal to Now? I thought that is possible because people misuse “Do you mind?” all the time, I barely hear people answer properly to that question.

What do you think?

This is the dumbest thing I've read all week. ASAP means do it right away. It's the non medical equivalent of stat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So when you are working on a priority item that is due within an hour and you get an email that is asap, you just drop what you are doing?

I never have ghis issue with my other coworkers and when I’m the one on the receiving end U always ask about the urgency when U’m eirking on a priority item, and I always get the answer that they don’t need it right away.

Being both this ignorant and this steadfast in your ignorance does not bode well for your long term career.

[Anonymous]

+1 to everybody except OP.

It is a polite way to say now and you probably meant to convey “at your earliest possible convenience.”

It’s really OK that you didn’t understand this. We are human and learn something new every day. I’m assuming you are open to learning and accepting this since you asked this for him. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your day ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How often do you ask subordinates to do something ASAP, OP?

A better way would be to set clear deadlines.

Instead of "Send me September's FLART report ASAP" say "Send me September's FLART report by 4pm today."

Please and thank you optional, but couldn't hurt.

By 4 pm is also confusing. What time zone is that 4pm? We always put time zone in.

I assume the timezone of the speaker. Yes, our office is across three timezones. It's been this way for years, and we just all convert automatically.

And not everyone works in an office that spans multiple time zones? I never have, and so I'd only add the time zone when I am communicating with someone from outside my org who is in a different time zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP are you convinced yet?

Of course, not. Since it's not unanimous, with him as the exception, it's OK to define ASAP as "when I get around to do it."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it’s obvious since it literally an acronym for “As soon as possible” meaning NOT right away, but when you get a round to it. I used this in an email to a staff member and he panicked because he read this as right away. Gave me an attitude because apparently he had a lot of stuff that needs to do first. I did not understand what we was going on about at first, until he explained it was because I said ASAP and that meant now? I explained back that this is not what it meant and that if he needs to do something right now then I would have said so.

So, this got me into thinking, do people actually think ASAP is equal to Now? I thought that is possible because people misuse “Do you mind?” all the time, I barely hear people answer properly to that question.

What do you think?

This is the dumbest thing I've read all week. ASAP means do it right away. It's the non medical equivalent of stat.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought it’s obvious since it literally an acronym for “As soon as possible” meaning NOT right away, but when you get a round to it. I used this in an email to a staff member and he panicked because he read this as right away. Gave me an attitude because apparently he had a lot of stuff that needs to do first. I did not understand what we was going on about at first, until he explained it was because I said ASAP and that meant now? I explained back that this is not what it meant and that if he needs to do something right now then I would have said so.

So, this got me into thinking, do people actually think ASAP is equal to Now? I thought that is possible because people misuse “Do you mind?” all the time, I barely hear people answer properly to that question.

What do you think?

When someone says they need it ASAP I read it as drop whatever I'm doing and do that.

[Anonymous]

ASAP means it's urgent, do it right away.