Anxiety is a real emotion, and one that receives lots of attention. Why? Because it can be a very serious issue that impacts a person’s well-being. But anxiety isn’t just connected to issues in our personal life. It also manifests in the professional realm. The form of anxiety we’ll explore today is the anxiety that can happen when we don’t “close the loop” to assure others that action has been taken.

If the person you report to has to inquire whether the action you were to take has been done, it is a sign that you need to improve your communication. There may be times (very few of them) when closing the loop may not be necessary. In some cases, a person may have proven to be so consistent in follow-up that their supervisor knows they are a “consider it done” person.

My experience is that closing the loop does not come naturally for many people. They may assume you as their leader know it will be done. Also, you may feel having to close the loop is a form of micromanagement. Yet those who get micromanaged often need to be precisely because of the lack of closing the loop.

Let’s look at some examples of not closing the loop. The first is a healthcare example. Almost every week, I am fortunate to get to be with those providing care to others and those who provide services to the caregivers. While in a hospital, I was with the president/CEO. The family member of a patient came up to us. Someone had mentioned to this person that the president/CEO was in the area. He shared that his fiancée was in great pain after surgery, and nothing was being done. So the president/CEO followed up. It turned out that the caregiver was aware of the situation, had called the surgeon, and was in the process of changing the pain medication. All the right actions were being taken. So why was the patient’s fiancé upset? He was not aware. The caregiver had not communicated what was taking place.

I know how busy caregivers are. At times, such communication may not be possible. However, updating the patient and family on the conversation that had taken place would have created a calmer fiancé, a greater sense of trust, and a better outcome.

Often while taking action, one can assume people know what is taking place. For instance, you send a note to a person who reports to you asking them to contact someone. While you assume the contact will be made, it is much better if the employee replies that they contacted the person and shares any pertinent information. It may even be something simple like, “I left a message.” Any information can reduce anxiety. It lets others know this is a person I can trust.

In looking at issues that come up, we often find that they’re due to poor handoffs. By handoff, I mean the action was passed on to another person. When that person lets you know that they received the handoff, it helps to close the loop. Also, if the person needs to take additional action, it helps when they let you know that the action was taken. This is now more important than ever as organizations seek to protect information via cybersecurity. I have heard people say they sent an email to someone and have not heard back. My suggestion is to try reaching them in a different way, like a phone call. It is not unusual to learn that the email or other information is in a spam folder. This is another example of closing the loop.

A few tips on closing the loop:

• If your leader asks you to do something, after you do it, let them know it has been done.
• When you receive an email, it is a good idea to let the sender know you received it and will follow up with appropriate action.
• Ask people to tell you and other relevant parties what is taking place. In the example above, while the healthcare professional was taking all the correct actions to follow up regarding the patient’s pain, it would have been better to communicate that with the patient and her family.
• Don’t assume others know what is taking place. Be proactive in closing the loop in communication.

Closing the loop is one of those small actions that makes a big positive impact. Most people have good intentions. They want to keep their promises and do the right thing. Following up to let others know they have done so is the final piece of the puzzle. It alleviates anxiety and creates strong, trusting relationships. Make it a habit and encourage others to do so as well.