To respond to someone, an idea, or to a request should be simple.
Yet, how many times can we collectively recollect when someone never responded to an email? Or how many times when a business didn’t deliver what they promised? Or when a politician, pick the country, doesn’t respond to their citizens’ needs? When someone is unresponsive, it sears into our memory. We may not want to vote for them again. We may not want to remain friends with them. We may not want to do business with them again. For me, and those of us at the Global Best Practices Group (GBPG), responsiveness is at the core of our ethos – not only in the workplace but as citizens of the world.
The great Nelson Mandela wrote, “there can be no greater gift that that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.” Often, especially now in our polarized world, Mandela’s words are on my mind. To me, he’s talking about being a citizen of the world and the essence of his words is this – responding to the needs of our fellow citizens is essential.
Paradoxically the more accessible we become, the more likely we are to disengage. At a time when people are more interconnected and constantly available than ever before, they are also increasingly less responsive. As multiple studies have shown, the expectation of perpetual availability can diminish the perceived importance of each message, making it easier to overlook and ultimately ignore the individual at the other (virtual) end.
Whether pollical, corporate or organizational responsiveness is essential for our society to move forward; it is essential as a foundation for the legitimacy of political systems, and it constitutes the fabric of a trust-based system. Such systems, whether personal or in the field of business, have a cornerstone – responsiveness. That pillar rests on trust and in the business sense profit and performance require oxygen – and that air is responsiveness.
In practice recent studies highlight that while we spend an important part of our working day (over-) checking and reading our emails, response times frequently do not meet expectations. In 2017 Forbes cited reading and instantly replying to an email as the most efficient approach to email management. Most professionals however prefer to read and revisit – meaning they duplicate the reading time and delay the response[1] The oft-cited 2020 Toister Performance Solution study[2] revealed that a vast majority of clients expect a response to emails within one hour, however in practice most companies fail to respond within a 12 hour timeframe with customers commonly taking to social media to vent their disappointment. A 2023 University of Arizona discussion paper argues that email response times have actually perceivably extended and highlights that beyond inconvenience and inefficiency there can be professional ethical implications to unresponsiveness.[3] Overall in our digital economy responsiveness is a core component, and expectation, of a professional workforce.
When deprived of the oxygen that responsiveness provides, businesses lose, and their customers lose. Responsiveness is a strategic imperative in the world of business and procurement. There are five core elements of that that come to my mind when thinking about the intersection between procurement, business, our roles as world citizens, and responsiveness:
- Responsiveness as a Strategic Business Asset
In today’s competitive landscape, responsiveness transcends basic courtesy, it’s a fundamental driver of organizational success. The ability to respond quickly and thoughtfully to clients, teams, and stakeholders determines whether businesses thrive or falter.
When responsiveness breaks down, the consequences cascade rapidly. Trust erodes when clients send urgent inquiries only to be met with silence. A week without response to a critical service issue transforms even the strongest relationships into sources of doubt and frustration. In project environments, failing to acknowledge changing requirements leads to misaligned deliverables, missed deadlines, and ultimately, project failure.
The financial impact is equally severe. High-value prospects don’t wait indefinitely—they move to more responsive competitors. Internally, delayed responses create operational bottlenecks. A procurement team’s slow reply can stall finance approvals, delay delivery and force teams into reactive crisis management rather than proactive execution.
Responsiveness protects performance by building trust, enabling agility, driving profitability, and maintaining operational flow. It serves as the unseen foundation of high-performing organizations.
- Political Responsiveness, Governance, Global Leadership and Crisis Prevention
Political stability depends critically on leaders’ ability to respond meaningfully to their citizens’ needs. We know when governments fail to address urgent concerns, whether economic hardship, or call for reform, or human rights issues—frustration builds into widespread unrest time and time again we let them off the hook – it’s a perpetual cycle of distrust
Effective leadership requires more than acknowledgment; it demands concrete action. In crisis situations, the responsiveness of political and diplomatic leaders becomes paramount. Their ability to engage urgently and substantively can alter historical trajectories, while inaction perpetuates suffering and instability. They must learn to take risks rather than opt for the safe option. This syndrome is a classic case of BHIS – Bury Head In the Sand. Immediate action must be taken in Gaza to stop the killing of innocent people,
Nowhere is this more critical than in humanitarian response situations. Yet almost every large-scale humanitarian crisis has to battle indifference and unresponsiveness of the international community. Examples are numerous and Syria to Sudan, Yemen to Gaza, have faced not just logistical challenges but also political indifference, delayed funding, and strategic inaction from the international community. Despite early warnings, clear evidence of suffering, and urgent appeals from humanitarian organizations, responses are often slow, fragmented, or conditional, shaped more by geopolitical interests than human need. As I witnessed serving with UNRWA, while being responsive is the line between survival and death, hostile governments and violent organizations often stand in the way of the UN, medical, and humanitarian professionals from doing their jobs .
Recent political failures highlight the consequences of unresponsive leadership in crisis situations. When leaders ignore popular demands or fail to address urgent issues proactively, the results often include violence, instability, and prolonged suffering.
Historical examples demonstrate how lack of responsive governance can reverse democratic progress, deepen humanitarian crises, and escalate regional tensions. The absence of proactive diplomatic engagement and measured responses risks increasing civilian casualties and undermining peace prospects.
- Procurement, Market Dynamics and Improving Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
Unresponsive procurement processes create systemic failures across public and private sectors. When procurement officers fail to provide timely clarifications or updates, the resulting delays generate bottlenecks and undermine market confidence. This lack of communication discourages bidder participation and erodes trust in the entire system.
Markets respond sensitively to procurement responsiveness. When bidders perceive lack of accountability, they adjust their strategies—submitting higher prices, lower-quality proposals, or avoiding participation entirely. This reduces competition and ultimately compromises value for money. Over six months delays due to laziness in deciding an EOI/RFP outcome is becoming customary and standard. Some delays are so long we even forget the bid was submitted but the excuse is it is still being processed/ Over and over again as the automatic response. YAWN, another classic case of SOH –Sitting on Hands.
Procurement serves as a critical mechanism for wealth circulation, facilitating billions in transactions across public and private sectors. In the EU alone it accounts for 14% of GDP or €2 trillion per year. [4] When functioning well it drives economic activity, creates employment, and ensures public investment translates into societal benefits. When procurement responsiveness fails, this vital economic flow becomes disrupted, leading to inefficiency and reduced economic growth.
Enhanced complaint and feedback mechanisms within procurement processes can significantly improve outcomes. Semi-formal channels—such as dedicated question forums—provide alternatives to lengthy legal disputes while ensuring concerns are addressed promptly.
These fast-track resolution systems function like arbitration, resolving disagreements early and maintaining project momentum. Such mechanisms build trust, reduce delays, and enhance the fairness and transparency of procurement processes.
- Cultivating a Culture of Responsiveness
Personal responsibility for responsiveness extends beyond individual actions to shaping organizational culture. This mindset recognizes that private sector efforts and proposals deserve respect and timely consideration. Understanding that responsibility means delivering excellence becomes essential for success across all sectors.
Responsiveness represents an attitude that distinguishes successful institutions from failing ones. It shapes trust, effectiveness, and organizational health, whether in public administration, international organizations, or service delivery teams.
- Personal Action and Cultural Change
Transformation begins with individual commitment. Each interaction, document, discussion, and decision present an opportunity to model responsiveness. By asking ourselves how we can be more responsive to achieve optimal outcomes, we begin building the culture we want to see.
Taking personal ownership of responsiveness creates environments that value timely communication, clarity, and collaboration—the essential ingredients for sustainable success.
The bottom line, without displaying top-rate responsiveness we risk failure at a personal level and at an organizational level. When neglect occurs confidence erodes, outcomes worsen, profit generation declines, and efficiency suffers. The impacts can be catastrophic – death, destruction, and the rise of demagogues. I, and my colleagues at GBPG will strive to always be responsive. I challenge you to do the same.
References:
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/annabelacton/2017/07/13/innovators-challenge-how-to-stop-wasting-time-on-emails/#9a894c597886
[2] https://www.toistersolutions.com/blog/how-quickly-should-you-respond-to-email
[3] https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4555956
[4] https://www.eipa.eu/blog/the-future-of-public-procurement-the-council-conclusions-on-the-court-of-auditors-report-on-public-procurement/
