
I shared a poll with my newsletter subscribers, asking them to vote on their "too busy" tell. Their choices were:
Default response to everything is "Sure, I'll
do it"
Living in back-to-back meetings with no time to think
Starting emails with "Sorry for the delay"
Their poll response revealed a striking pattern: a split between living in back-to-back meetings (45%) and defaulting to "yes" on every request (45%).
Let's talk about how these patterns are being interpreted across your organization – and how to flip them into opportunities.
How Your "Busy" Looks to Different Audiences
To Executives:
When you say: "I'm in meetings all day" or "I'll handle everything"
They hear: "Can't prioritize strategic work"
Instead, speak ROI: "I'm evaluating our current projects and meeting load to ensure we're focusing on highest-impact activities. Can we discuss priorities to ensure we're aligned?"
To Managers:
When you say: "My calendar is full" or "Sure, I'll do it"
They hear: "Not available for strategic planning"
Instead, speak outcomes: "To best support your team's goals, I'm consolidating our touchpoints and project streams. This will give us focused time for strategic planning rather than reactive updates."
To Teams:
When you say: "Sorry for the delay..." or "I'll get to everything eventually"
They hear: "Your needs aren't a priority."
Instead, speak expectations: "I review and respond to requests every Tuesday and Thursday. For urgent needs, here's how to flag them."
Your Strategic Scripts Library
Here are my favorite boundary-setting templates, tailored by audience:
For Executives:
"To ensure we're driving [key business priority], I'm blocking focused work time for [specific strategic initiative]. What other priorities should I factor into this planning?"
For Managers:
"I noticed we have three separate project streams that might have overlapping goals. Could we discuss combining these for a bigger impact while reducing the meeting load?"
For Teams:
"To serve you better, I'm setting up [specific office hours/request process]. This will help me deliver higher quality support with faster turnaround times."
The Power Move
Want to really level up? Share your boundary-setting approach proactively. For example: "To better support our Q2 priorities, here's how I'm structuring my availability..." This positions you as strategic rather than just busy.
Your Turn
This week, pick one stakeholder group and try reframing your "too busy" message using their language. What shifted in the response?
photo credit: Gul lsik - Pexels
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