How can I interpret an ambiguous email from my boss?

[Office_Shredder]

An email conversation has gone like this:

A: Can you come by sometime next week?
B: I'm free Thursday or Friday
C: "Can you stop by in the morning?"

OK, does that mean he wants me to come by next Thursday or Friday in the morning, or is he separately asking me to stop by tomorrow?

 

[Evo]

Can you ask them to clarify?

 

[Office_Shredder]

I did but it's late and this is a past ditch effort to get some insight into whether I need to replan my day tomorrow.

 

[Evo]

I did but it's late and this is a past ditch effort to get some insight into whether I need to replan my day tomorrow.

 

[zoobyshoe]

OK, does that mean he wants me to come by next Thursday or Friday in the morning, or is he separately asking me to stop by tomorrow?

Since he already referenced next week, I'm pretty sure he meant next week in the morning.

 

[AlephZero]

That conversation seems like the classic situation where nobody wants to blink first and actually make a decision.

It's also a classic situation where making any decision, quickly, is better than taking for ever trying to make the "right" or "best" decision.

Just tell him which you are going to stop by on Thursday morning next week (Or Friday morning, if you prefer). If he doesn't like that, he'll tell you!

 

[256bits]

The question is "Are you going to come by next week , either Thurs or Fri, in the morning? He is implying another choice should you prefer to come by next week, either Thurs of Fri, in the afternoon ?"

 

[Office_Shredder]

The moral of the story is never ask, just assume. Apparently he meant next Thursday/Friday, but since I have so much free time that I can meet with him tomorrow, I should do that so he can dump a bunch of work on me.

 

[MrTheBard]

I agree with AlephZero. Pick the date within the constraints. Next week Thursday or Friday, pick the day that's best for you. Send your boss the date and progress from thither.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Yeah, that means in the morning of the days you said you were available. Seems unreasonable to ask what day you could come by the next week, and then ignore your answer and tell you to come the very next day of this week.

 

[BobG]

Yeah, that means in the morning of the days you said you were available. Seems unreasonable to ask what day you could come by the next week, and then ignore your answer and tell you to come the very next day of this week.

Have you never worked for a boss?

With some bosses, the first mistake would be to reply to their e-mail. The better option would be to tag the e-mail as junk mail.

Or do what I did once and set your e-mail to list your e-mail's from earliest received to last received. Except, actually, that was an accident and I spent the next few days trying to figure out why everyone was getting e-mails except me. But it did give me a new excuse I could save in my pocket for those times when I didn't want to receive an e-mail from someone.