How to follow up when another team is blocking you.
You need an API, a design, a review or access from someone else, and it isn't coming. Following up feels awkward, so most people wait too long, then get asked at standup why their work is late. These messages are polite, specific and easy to say yes to.
Before the first message
- Ask for one concrete thing. "The search endpoint's request and response shape" beats "an update on the API".
- Give a date and a reason. "By Thursday, so we can make the 2.4 release" lets them prioritize.
- Make it easy. Link the ticket, offer a draft, or suggest a 10-minute call.
The first ask (day 0)
The first nudge (day 2)
Short, friendly, and it assumes they're busy, not ignoring you.
The second nudge (day 4 or 5)
Add the cost of waiting, and offer to do the work yourself.
Escalating (day 7 or later)
Escalate to a shared channel or a lead, not over someone's head in private. Stick to facts, with no blame, and ask for help finding an owner.
In standup
"Day 6, asked 3×" does two things. It tells your team this isn't new, and it shows you've done your part. A slow dependency is a team problem, not your problem.
Keep receipts
The hardest part isn't writing the message. It's remembering when you asked, how, and how many times, a week later when someone asks why it's late. Write it down every time you chase someone: the date, the person, and where you asked (Slack, email, a ticket, a call, standup).
Sill keeps the receipts for you
Sill tracks everything you're waiting on and logs each follow-up in two taps. It shows how long you've waited and how often you've asked, and puts the receipt straight into your standup. It also writes the rest of the standup from your git commits and finished tasks. Free on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch; no account, no server, no analytics.
Get Sill free on the App Store. More guides: 12 standup examples · your standup from git log.