8 Oct
2009
Stressed Requester: "I want that done"
You: "When?"
Stressed Requester: "A.S.A.P."
You: "Okay, no problem. As soon as possible would be a month from now. Without breaking any prior commitments, we can get it out in a month! How does that sound?"
Alternate Ending #1
Relieved Requester: "Awesome, thank you so much!"
Alternate Ending #2
Angry Requester: "What? That's ridiculous!"
What does A.S.A.P. mean? A day? Five minutes? Lets breakdown A.S.A.P. to see what this really means:
As
in the manner (source:
dictionary.com)
Soon
before long, in the near future, at an early date (source:
dictionary.com)
As
in the manner (source:
dictionary.com)
Possible
that may or can be, esxist, happen, be done, be used (source: dictionary.com)
A.S.A.P. then means ssomething like "in the manner - in the near future - in the manner - that may or can be" please take care of something. So when did you want that?
I'm very confused now. Does that mean it needs to be completed Friday? Monday? Tuesday? A week? A month? Soon. What is soon? We hope to have a child soon. That takes nine months. I hope to eat soon, that could be in an hour or so. Soon is a word that can be best used when you want to avoid committing to a time frame.
As a requester, I have a different definition of soon than the person I'm talking with. If I ask you when you will be here, and you say "soon" - I think, "5 minutes". You, on the other hand, mean "30 minutes". Why use the word soon? It's a wonderful arbitrary response that answers a question, while saying nothing. Soon is not a measurable amount of time. Soon isn't a goal that you can succeed or fail at. Soon is a time, in the near future. I'm still confused. When did you want that? And what do you mean by possible? It is possible for me to stay up all night working. Is that what you expected? Or did you mean possible without working any overtime?
In my opinion, A.S.A.P. is used as the first step in a negotiation. If I want something from you, and want to get it from you quick, I'll use the word soon. When I say soon, you have to either do it right away, or ask for clarification. Saying soon is like selling your car, without a price, but putting "make offer" on it. It's lazy, and it requires other people to figure out what you mean.
The above can be asked with a timeframe?
Stressed Requester: "I want that done"
You: "When?"
Stressed Requester: "Tomorrow by noon"
You: "Okay, no problem."
