In the corporate world, formal Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) are a staple. These agreements, often implemented through platforms like ServiceNow or Jira, establish clear expectations regarding response and resolution times.
For instance, they might define how many hours a team has to acknowledge or complete a user’s request. These provide structure and clarity that businesses and prjects can depend on.
However, beyond these formal agreements, there exists a less defined yet equally important concept: informal Service Level Agreements.
These reflect the everyday communication expectations that arise in workplace interactions. Informal S.L.A.’s vary depending on the communication medium, the urgency of the matter, and the individuals involved; they also change with what level of delivery you are producing.
Over time, I’ve observed some general guidelines that seem to work well across different organizations. Let’s break these down.
Email Communication
For most email communications, there’s an unspoken expectation to respond within 24 hours during business days.
This standard applies to everything from straightforward requests to more complex tasks. If you’re unable to provide a complete response within that timeframe, perhaps due to a heavy workload or the complexity of the request, a brief reply acknowledging receipt and explaining the delay is a good practice. Indicate when the sender can expect a full response.
When it comes to emails marked as “important,” faster responses are typically expected—ideally within minutes. However, the urgency of such emails often depends on the sender’s behavior.
If the sender rarely flags emails as important and is known to use the label only when needed, their message likely requires immediate attention.
On the other hand, if you have someone who seems to regard all their emails as critical and frequently marks emails as important without clear justification, the impact of the label diminishes, potentially slowing communication and harming productivity.
Instant Messaging
Response times in instant messaging platforms depend heavily on the context and the group dynamics. In group chats, especially those used for operational issues like outages or security breaches, immediate responses are expected—even outside of regular working hours.
For personal or one-to-one communication, the standard is less rigid.
A response within an hour or during gaps between meetings is generally acceptable. That said, it’s important to address inefficiencies in how instant messaging is used. For example, some individuals treat instant messages as a repository for tasks, sending requests late on a Friday with the expectation that they’ll be addressed first thing Monday.
This practice can overwhelm recipients and disrupt workflow. Establishing and reinforcing appropriate boundaries for instant messaging is crucial to making sure that subject matter experts and other useful people don’t just become some sort of chat client receptionist unable to actually do any real work.
Levels of Delivery
Now that you have worked out the different informal levels of service and how fast you should respond, there are also different levels of what you are actually delivering
Technical Delivery
This is the foundational stage where the core system or infrastructure is operational. It’s akin to a newly constructed hospital that’s ready for use but hasn’t yet admitted any patients. While technically complete, it’s not yet delivering value.
Functional Delivery / Business Delivery
Functional delivery occurs when the system or service is actively used and creating value. Using the hospital analogy, this is when patients are being treated, and the facility is fulfilling its purpose.
In a business context, it’s when a product or service starts generating revenue or achieving its intended outcomes.
Political Delivery
Political delivery focuses on presenting progress to stakeholders. For instance, the hospital may appear ready to operate but hasn’t yet treated any patients.
These deliveries often arise in long-term projects where demonstrating visible progress is necessary to maintain stakeholder confidence. While political deliveries may not always align with the team’s priorities, they are sometimes essential for managing expectations and ensuring continued support.
Balancing it all
As I advance into more senior management roles, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of balancing these different types of deliveries. Political deliveries, in particular, often require short-term sacrifices for long-term gains.
Helping your team understand this dynamic and keeping them focused on the bigger picture is key to maintaining morale and ensuring success.