The B Word.

No, I’m not talking about THAT “b” word, or any other words of that nature that begin with B.

I’m talking about another one: busy. Lately, I’ve noticed just how bothered I get when people say they’re “busy.” Whether it’s professionally or personally, telling me you’re busy is bothersome. So, do us all a favor and find another word.

Before you think that’s harsh, think about it for a second, and read on.

In this article, I’ll focus on two types of schedules: manager and maker.

A maker’s schedule dives deep and focus on the work their creating whereas manager’s will typically bounce around multiple projects on any given day. We all have elements of both work styles but most people will be more of a manager or a maker.

Being part of a team of 30-something means that at some point or another every person will be working on something that’s not their direct responsibility. Maybe it happens once a month, maybe once a week, maybe every day. For those who fall under the “every day” category, juggling many different types of work has become the norm, and is done with grace.

However, this also means that they don’t have a shortage of work.

So, what happens when another request is put on their desk?

Good question. It gets put in the queue and is hopefully completed at some point in the future — anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. As part of the marketing team, I’m a self-declared managing maker: my work style is that of a maker with a mind of a manager. I’ve learned to dive into my work and also to shift gears as people come to me with questions. Here are a few tactics that help me work better for the sake of everyone.

1. Ask them when they need it

If someone asks me for something and gives me the necessary information but no timeline, my first question is always “When do you need it by?”. Needing something in a week versus in a month means I need to rearrange my work so that I can deliver to you, and to others who may be needing something.

2. Be honest

You don’t have to drop everything to fulfill their ask, but be honest about when you can get to it…and then follow through. It’s okay if it will take a few days but don’t over promise, under deliver, and use your busyness as an explanation of why it wasn’t completed.

3. COMMUNICATE.

This deserves caps and a period because that’s how important it is. Both parties need to communicate as often as necessary; hopefully you know what that timing is but, if you don’t, communicating too much is better than not enough. There’s nothing worse than having a deadline, not checking in until the day it’s due, and discovering that there’s a problem that will either cause a panic and/or delay the next stage. Communicating throughout the process is far better, especially if it means something will need to be delayed.

It’s about having a sense of urgency.

I was taught an important lesson during my first year in the work world: having a sense of urgency. This doesn’t mean that the alarms go off every time you need to get something done and it doesn’t mean that you take your sweet, sweet time to complete it.

To me, having a sense of urgency shows the other person that you care about their work and want them to succeed. Having a sense of urgency puts their work at equal importance with yours. A sense of urgency incorporates regular communication and honesty. Sometimes a sense of urgency needs to be just that: urgent. If something can get done in 30 minutes, or even in an hour, I find that it’s usually better to do it then

Saying you’ve been busy tells me that you don’t care enough to ask when I need it done. And it can have a ripple effect. I hope that everyone on the team wants the business to grow and is doing work towards accomplishing that. This means that if they ask you to do something, or you ask them for something, it is ultimately contributing to the bottom line. It might not seem like glamorous work, or might not feel as important/necessary as another part of work, but it needs to get done for a reason.

Next time someone asks you for something, use another word to express your workload and acknowledge that you will do your best to complete the work for them. Be clear in understanding when they need it and in having a sense of urgency to deliver quality in a timely manner. But, please, don’t tell them you’re busy.