Follow Up and Follow Through

Have you ever ordered something from someone and the turnaround time was longer than you expected? Trying to be the kind professional is hard because you feel like people are taking advantage of you. Even with professional emails with order information, follow up phone calls(initiated by the customer) , in my experience when I supported black business I was given slack performances.

What can we do to change this? What can we do to make sure our businesses are thriving and putting their customers first.

The value of following up and following through is pivotal to making change happen in our communities, business and relationships. When was the last time you followed up with a good friend of yours and followed through with your word to meet for lunch or dinner?

Do you follow up with your customers to ensure the issue they had were handled? Do you follow up with your employees and co workers to make sure they are okay and the project is inmotion? Do you follow through with your words? I have noticed because people are under pressure or they take on too many projects they don't follow through.

Here is my quick story. On a regular day from teaching, my students were dismissed and suddenly a student tried to physically assault me. Of course, I am fearful to return to work, I looked for help and people just stood around. One person helped in the moment and one person helped me after the incident. I wanted to quit in that moment and never return to the classroom . To me that was the final straw. Fast forward to the next day I returned because I knew a substitute would not pick up that late at night and I was trying to be a team player. T I tried to hold it together but the entire day I was afraid to answer every knock at my door because, they could not find this kid, there was no update on what to expect on the students consequence or follow up on me as a teacher. I was scared and feared for my life and I felt like no one had my back, no one checked on me to make sure I was okay that could do something to change the dynamics of the situation. I suffered in silence and hid it with a smile as I waited for people to get back to me with a response of some sort. I was scared and humiliated. I felt like no one had time to talk to me about my issues.

[ Quick backstory, prior to this incident two weeks prior I was sexually assaulted by a student. ]

Finally, I received an email from my administration. Following the prompt from the administrator I responded with available time frames to meet and made sure I made myself open and flexible to the administrators schedule so I can just get the moment to express my deep concerns.

Well, guess ?! what there was no follow up with a time to meet and settle things. To date I still never had that meeting. When people don't get the result and they follow the proper hierarchy and chain of command they go to the next level.

I share my story with you to say this: follow up and follow through. Make sure it is done and done right the first time.