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Updated September 2026: in 2019 I described a demanding opportunity with a weekend-working delivery team, and the upside: their delivery partner wrote to my manager praising my support, which helped me get the top rating in my team. I have rewritten it into advice on how appreciation emails affect ratings, and how to earn and use them.

The opportunity was hard: constant presence on calls, weekend work and shifting representations. But I had worked with this team before, and their delivery partner took the time to email my manager about my effort. That note made my work visible across the team and, I believe, contributed to my top rating that year.

Do appreciation emails really affect ratings?

They often help, particularly in large IT services companies. Ratings are decided by managers comparing people, sometimes months after the work. A written note from a stakeholder is concrete evidence that is easy to cite in calibration discussions. It is not the only factor, but it is one of the most persuasive.

How do you earn them?

• Be reliable on the things the stakeholder cares about: deadlines, responsiveness and quality.
• Make their job easier: anticipate needs, flag risks early.
• Close well: a clean handover and a thank-you note at the end.

Is it acceptable to ask for one?

Yes, politely and after good work. "If the support was useful, a short note to my manager would really help at review time" is a reasonable request. Most stakeholders are happy to write one; they simply do not think of it unprompted.

What should you do when you receive one?

Thank the sender, save the email in a folder for your appraisal, and mention it in your self-assessment with the date and context. If it was sent only to you, forward it to your manager with a brief note.

Is a hard opportunity worth it for the recognition?

Sometimes. Demanding work with a supportive team can build your reputation faster than easy work. Be aware of the cost, though: sustained weekend work is not sustainable. Take the recognition, and use it to negotiate a more balanced next assignment.

Keep reading

• When a Client Team Asks for You by Name
• Your Manager Committed You to Weekend Work: Respond
• Running a Query Log With Answer Deadlines

Updated September 2026: in 2019, on a call, the offshore delivery lead kept challenging a slide I had shared, although the onsite point of contact said twice that it met the customer's needs. I have rewritten it into advice on handling a disagreement over your work during a live call.

The onsite team had accepted my slide and planned to tailor it for the customer. On the next call, the offshore delivery lead raised it again, saying he had a better representation in mind. The call went quiet. The onsite contact repeated that the slide was good enough. The lead still pressed with more questions.

How should you respond in the moment?

Calmly, and briefly. State the facts once: "The onsite team reviewed this and plans to customise it for the customer." Then invite the alternative: "If you can sketch what you have in mind, I can compare the two after the call." That avoids a long argument in front of others and puts the next step on the person with the objection.

Should you let the client-facing team decide?

Yes, in most cases. The onsite team owns the customer relationship and will present the slide. When they have said it works, that is usually the deciding view. You do not need to win the argument yourself; you need the decision to be clear.

What if the other person takes it personally?

• Keep the discussion about the slide, not about who made it.
• Acknowledge any valid point, even a small one.
• Follow up privately rather than continuing on the call.
• Confirm the decision in writing afterwards.

How do you prevent repeat disputes?

Agree at the start who approves which content. If the onsite team approves customer-facing slides, write that into the kickoff notes. When a later challenge comes, you can point to the agreed process rather than defend your judgement.

What if the dispute harms the relationship?

Talk privately and plainly: you want the work to go well, and conflicting directions make that harder. Most working relationships survive a disagreement handled respectfully. If it keeps recurring, involve your manager with specific examples.

Keep reading

• When a Client Team Asks for You by Name
• Validate the Brief Before Building the Deck
• Running a Query Log With Answer Deadlines

Updated September 2026: in 2019, during a quiet spell when everyone in my team tried to look busy to avoid extra work, a colleague told me she had finally managed to leave the team, the second departure in a short time. I have rewritten it into advice on what to do when your team is quiet and people keep leaving.

For several days there was little work, and most of the team made a show of being busy so the manager would not hand out anything new. I did the same: laptop open, documents on screen, videos playing in my headphones. Then a colleague tapped my shoulder with her news. She was leaving the team.

Is it a problem to look busy when there is no work?

It is understandable, and common. But it has a cost. Time spent looking busy is time not spent learning or building something useful, and managers often notice more than people think. Being openly available and using the time well usually serves you better.

What does frequent attrition from a team tell you?

Several departures in a short period usually point to something shared: the manager, the work, workload or lack of growth. It is worth asking leavers, privately, why they are going. Their reasons are often the same ones you have been feeling but not naming.

How should you respond when colleagues leave?

• Get their knowledge before they go: files, contacts and unwritten know-how.
• Raise workload early with your manager if their work will fall to you.
• Keep in touch; former colleagues are the best source of honest information about other teams and companies.
• Reassess your own position calmly, rather than reacting to each departure.

How can you use a quiet period instead?

Pick one skill your accounts need and build it, such as a certification or a new tool. Improve the team's templates. Offer help on another account. Each of these is visible and useful, and it makes you the person managers think of for interesting work.

When is it time to follow them?

When the reasons others give for leaving apply to you too, and they are unlikely to change. An internal move is often the first step to consider, before looking outside.

Keep reading

• When a Client Team Asks for You by Name
• On Standby for One Project, Pulled Back to Another
• Your Manager Committed You to Weekend Work: Respond

Updated September 2026: in 2019 I came back from my hometown ready for a demanding opportunity, only to learn on the daily account call that the client had not answered our questionnaire and the offshore team should focus on standard solution components meanwhile. I have rewritten it into advice on keeping a proposal moving when the client goes quiet.

I logged in expecting a busy week. There was no new work, just a daily call set by the account team to review actions. We all hoped the client had answered our clarification questions. They had not, the schedule looked likely to slip, and we were told to work on the standard parts of the solution in the meantime.

Why do clients delay answering questionnaires?

Usually because the questions go to people who are busy with their day jobs, or because answers need input from several departments. Sometimes the client is still deciding what it wants. Silence rarely means lack of interest; it means the questions are waiting in someone's queue.

What can the team build without the answers?

• Standard components: methodology, governance, team structure, case studies.
• The solution skeleton, with placeholders where answers will change the design.
• Assumptions: a clear list of what you will assume if no answer arrives.
• Estimates as ranges tied to those assumptions.

How do you prompt the client without annoying them?

Reduce the ask. Send the three questions that matter most, not the full list again, and explain what each answer changes. Offer a thirty-minute call to go through them together. Clients respond faster to a short, specific request than to a long document.

When should the schedule be reset?

As soon as it is clear the answers will not arrive in time. Tell the account team what can still be delivered by the original date, with assumptions stated, and what would need more time. A realistic plan agreed early is better than a rushed submission built on guesses.

How do you use the waiting days well?

Polish the reusable parts and prepare the sections that will be hardest once answers arrive. When the client finally responds, the team can focus on the specifics instead of starting from nothing.

Keep reading

• Running a Query Log With Answer Deadlines
• Validate the Brief Before Building the Deck
• When a Client Team Asks for You by Name