Follow Through: More Than a Resume Building Word

We all like to think we’re pretty great at following through, or, we at least use the term to boost our resumes and our hireability during interviews. But, are we as great as we say we are?

Perhaps we are on a personal level: when we make a commitment to a friend or family member, we show up.

But, what about at the office (or…away from the office, depending upon your work setup/situation)? What does follow through look like in action? More importantly, how would those on your team describe your own level of follow through?

We’re All Busy

One of my team members, Elaheh, wrote a really great article earlier this week about busyness, the dreaded “B” word that we all use as a crutch a little more than we should. When you think about the tasks you have on your plate and what you have coming up, you might feel a little overwhelmed, you might feel “busy.” But, does it change the way you follow through? Does it affect how dependable you are as a team member?

Here’s the thing: when something is asked of you, or assigned to you, and you accept it, how likely is it to get done in the time frame you promise, at the level of satisfaction or quality that is expected of you?

Before you get too hard on yourself, I want to share something: sometimes I’m guilty of not following through as much as I should. I think we all are. This isn’t a lecture, it’s not meant to put anyone down. But, I think sometimes a little bit of a wake up call goes a long way, especially with the way traditional workplaces and environments are changing.

For our team, we work all over the place. While Zerion is headquartered in DC, I work about 2.5 hours away, in central Pennsylvania. Other team members are down south, in Texas or across the globe (seriously). I make it into the office whenever I can and I am recharged every single time I get to be there. But, the reality is, most of my communication is done via Slack video calls, chats and emails. There’s no one hanging over my shoulder or reminding me in person that things need to get done or a specific assignment is nearing deadline. I think this is true of most remote workers: our follow through is (maybe) even more important than those in an office setting because it’s the one thing that makes us dependable, it shows our worth and it builds trust with our team members.

When Follow Through is Neglected

When we fail to follow through, to finish what we say we will or to demonstrate progress throughout the process, our level of dependability fails. If we consistently fall short, so does our value. In fact, people might stop asking…none of these things are good. None are what we hope for when we join a team, and — maybe most importantly — none of them helps our team grow in the way we need to.

I think I can say with certainty that follow through is one of the most important ways to demonstrate the fact that we care about a given team, business or initiative. Letting things slide just isn’t an option.

I know that sometimes circumstances are beyond our control — sometimes projects simply don’t go where they need to in the time they need to — but, this should be a rare occurrence, not something others expect when they ask us to complete a project or task.

Follow Through Should Be the Standard

Instead of a question mark, following through should be the golden standard we all aim for. I think it’s an indicator of a personal level of strength, but, also a team’s level of strength. How much can we count on those around us to pitch in and make things happen?

I don’t think there’s a magic recipe for “follow through success,” or a simple 3-step method to make it happen, but here are a few thoughts and methods I’ve tried to increase my own level of dependability.

1. I live by my rotating to-do list.

If you work with a team with various needs, you might need to as well. I take notes during calls and at the end, I modify my to-do list inside my trusted Google doc. My memory isn’t always the best so this helps me compensate for it.

There’s nothing that makes me feel happier than deleting a given line. There’s a good chance that if I neglect to add an item to that list, it’s not going to get done.

2. I Demonstrate Progress

Because my team can’t see what I’m working on — and this goes for those in the office and outside the office — I make my Google drive folders available to them. By creating organized spreadsheets and folders for documents, I can answer questions about progress and demonstrate it at all times. This keeps me in check and (I hope) provides reassurance to those that are counting on me.

3. I (Try to) Stay Organized

Fellow right-brainers, raise your hands!

Alright, I think each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, and I see my creative passion as a good thing. But, my left brained co-workers and (especially) husband, don’t always see things the same way.

If I am not organized and working according to the steps I’ve put in place to safeguard the tasks that simply need to be accomplished, there’s a good chance you’ll find me running to Target in the middle of writing an article, starting 6 projects at once, going to get a cup of coffee and realizing a certain wall would be a great place for a new photo or piece of artwork, or browsing travel locations, booking that travel and making a packing list for it. None of these things helps in accomplishing necessary tasks or building up my team.

So, organization is a must. Part of this means following my to-do list and making a list of tasks that MUST be accomplished before I move on for the day. Part of this means eliminating distractions, then eliminating them again.

These methods might not work for everyone — or, there might be better options (which I’d love to hear about, by the way!). But, the bottom line is this: dependability and overall team growth starts with follow through.

When you evaluate yourself…what do you find? Can you be honest about areas that you could improve and take steps to remedy them?

And — out of my own curiosity — what methods and actions do you take to improve your own levels of follow through? I’d love to hear them as I’m constantly looking for options and ways to improve. Please share!