Whether you work from home or go into the office, interruptions happen. You start out with a perfectly well-planned day, and inevitably people ping or ding you asking for something. Just as a meeting is ending, someone says, “Hey, do you have a minute?” And they hand you a new project or pull you in to advise them on something. The unplanned requests keep coming all day, and you often find yourself saying, “Sure, happy to help”. The result? You end up overcommitted and overwhelmed, struggling to complete an impossible workload.
Of course, some of the interruptions in our day are truly critical and must be handled exactly at that moment. But 80% of the spontaneous requests that come our way do not need to be dealt with immediately. And many are for things we should not be saying ‘Yes’ to at all. We shouldn’t blindly agree to random requests that will take us away from higher priorities or are outside our designated lane or expertise (and, therefore the most inefficient thing for us to spend time on). In reality, we often want to say no but say yes because we are caught off guard. We get tripped up in an effort to be good team players.
There is a way to manage unexpected requests with grace and logic while also being a great team member. Here are three strategies to tame interruptions that derail your best-laid plans.
Get out of the Automatic, ‘Yes.’
When somebody comes to you with a spontaneous request, unless it is truly a crisis, stop saying ‘Yes’ in the moment. Examples of a crisis worthy of an automatic yes would be, "The CEO is making a surprise appearance right now” or ”We need help closing this deal, or we're going to lose the client.” In all other cases, it’s better to put a pause in it and put some distance between the request and your response. This will position you to make better, more thoughtful, and intentional decisions. Try saying, “I'd love to help. Let me take a look at what's on my plate and what I can move around to make space to support you. I’ll circle back with you later in the day.” This positions you as a true team player who wants to help and communicates how responsible you are in fulfilling commitments.
Put the Request in Perspective
Once you’ve bought yourself a little time in the quiet of your own space, consider the request in context of everything else on your plate. Evaluate the true time demands of the unexpected request, your capacity to handle the extra workload, and your unique expertise in adding value. It’s helpful to stop thinking of outside requests as their work vs. your work. The truth is, all of it is the company's work. With that lens in mind, identify what the interruption will take you away from. Objectively speaking, what would the company consider the highest and best use of your time? If you conclude the request will take you away from something the company is really counting on you to do, that will inform your response.
Respond with Grace
You can now go back to the person, prepared, informed, and intentional. You might give a resounding yes, making visible what you are able to put aside to make room for this new important assignment. You might need to come back with a gracious no but delivered with a sense of shared commitment to the company’s best interests: “I would love more than anything to be a part of this project. But for the next month, my team and I are being counted on to redesign the entire product line. I couldn’t possibly do this assignment justice. Please keep me in mind for future projects.” You can also answer with a modified ‘Yes’ where you use the context of what else is on your plate to guide the when or how. For example, Yes, but not now. “I can definitely take this on. The next 3 days I’m on deadline to deliver a major report for the company. I can start this project next week.” Yes, but not that way. “I’m honored to be asked. I don’t have the capacity to take on the whole project, but if you find somebody else to do the heavy lifting, I can serve as a guide and advisor.”
It takes practice to get out of the Automatic Yes and hit the pause button to put a little distance between unexpected requests and your response. But rest assured, once you build those muscles, you will find the improved decision-making and sustainable workload worth the effort. You can manage unexpected requests with grace and logic while also being a great team member.