Beyond the Deadly Sins, ASAP

“ASAP” or “As Soon As Possible” is a bad term to use. The typical meaning behind it is to get information quickly to the person asking for it. However, the term itself does not reflect the urgency that is typically behind the meaning. “As Soon As Possible” means that as soon as the person being asked can possibly get to it. If they have other things, then they can get to those first and then, when it’s possible, they can get to the matter at hand. This is not what we typically want when we use this phrase. So, if you need something quickly, or urgently, put a date and time on it. “I need this by 10:00 today, March 28, 2008”. There is no question when you need the information. It’s right there in black and white. Let’s not leave ourselves open to interpretation