A follow-up cadence that gets replies without making you the office nag
Every project depends on other people: a client's feedback, a colleague's numbers, a supplier's quote, a manager's sign-off. Most of the time they reply. Sometimes they do not, and the project stalls while you wonder whether chasing again will seem pushy.
A follow-up cadence removes the guesswork. You decide in advance when you will chase and what you will say, and you stop agonising each time.
The basic rhythm
- Day 0: ask clearly, with what you need and by when
- Day 3: a light nudge
- Day 7: a direct follow-up with the consequence
- Day 10 or so: escalate, change the plan, or let it go
Adjust the numbers to your work. A client approval might use 2, 5 and 8 days; an internal favour might use a week between each.
Day 0: make the first ask chaseable
Most slow replies start with an unclear ask. A good first message says:
- What you need
- By when
- Why it matters
- How easy it is to answer
"Could you approve the homepage copy by Thursday? Reply 'approved' or list changes. We need it to keep the launch on the 12th."
Day 3: the light nudge
"Just bringing this back to the top of your inbox: are you able to approve the homepage copy by Thursday?"
Short, friendly, no guilt.
Day 7: the direct follow-up
"I still need approval on the homepage copy. Without it by Monday, the launch moves from the 12th to the 19th. Can you confirm either way?"
State the consequence factually. That is not pressure; it is information the other person needs.
Day 10: escalate or adjust
Options:
- Ask someone else who can decide
- Make a reasonable default decision and tell them ("We'll go with the current copy unless we hear otherwise by Wednesday")
- Change the plan around the missing input
- Accept it is not happening and remove it
Escalating is not a betrayal if you have followed up fairly first.
Keep track without keeping it in your head
The hard part of following up is remembering. On a 2D board, anything waiting on someone sits in the Other column with their name on it. Axtio shows how many days each one has been waiting, turns it red after seven days, and gathers them under a "to chase" button, so the cadence is visible without a separate list. See how to track delegated tasks.
When to let it go
Some requests are not worth chasing to the end. If the thing you are waiting for was nice to have, remove it and move on. Your board, and your relationships, will be better for it.
See manage follow-ups without notes and how to track approvals.