Exactly how Fast is ASAP

Friday afternoon, my HR director emailed me asking for me to write up a Job Description. I'm a busy girl these days so I emailed her back asking for the drop dead date she needed this by. She said, "ASAP" but then she added..."early next week." I'm relieved she qualified it for two reasons: I didn't want to stop what I was doing and if she had just said ASAP, I would have stopped what I was doing to get this done ASAP.

It got me thinking how the term, "As soon as possible" can mean different things to different people. My first instinct was to drop everything and start working on this but then she clarified so I didn't have to after all. I wonder if my boss asked me for this, would I have even asked for a due date or just got it done? If someone in one of the offices asked me for something ASAP, would I still feel the urgency.

I know a lot of times I do do things right away because I know it's simple enough to do it and be done with it and because some times I just feel it's something that if I don't do it - pronto, I might forget.

Maybe this is why a boss, or someone in authority, would rather not become "friends" with an employee. This may explain the resistance to "accept me" as a "friend." Okay.....we'll go with that. :)