top of page
Search

Confession time: What's your "too busy" tell?

Writer's picture: Debbie BradenDebbie Braden

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

1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
pexels-shvetsa-5711920.jpg
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
email us

Copyright©2024 Star Thrower Communications, LLC.

All Rights Reserved.

Permission needed to reproduce content.

image: Anna Shvets - Pexels

bottom of page