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Writer's pictureJade Lee

Busy be Gone

I am sick of asking people how they are and hearing that they are busy, heads up people, busy is not an emotion, it is not telling the recipient about what is going on with your life, it is really just complaining and when I hear it I wonder what is actually being achieved.  At least a busy bee is buzzing around making honey but what is the busy human achieving?  In most cases, I would suggest, extraordinarily little. 


According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of busy is:


Adjective (of a person) actively involved in doing something or having a lot of things to do.


Verb to make the time pass by doing something.


There you have it, in the definition of the word, did you notice there was no reference to productivity or achievement?  Someone who describes themselves as busy is telling me they are not organised enough to do their job. The cynic in me would even go as far as to say that some people are using busy as a defence mechanism to ensure that they do not get given more work.  The motivation behind this is concerning, is it because they cannot focus on the work, they cannot prioritise, they are easily distracted?  Are they so disengaged they don’t care anymore? These are questions that the manager of a “busy” worker should be asking because if we accept busy as a state of being, it is merely a matter of time before they hit a breaking point.  As was the case with the boy who cried wolf, when we continue to hear that someone is busy it becomes hard to differentiate when they need help. At what point are they overloaded if they are always busy?


I was discussing the concept with a friend and people professional the other day and he told me that early in his career he had a boss who said he did not want to hear that he was busy, it shows that you are disorganised and unable to manage your time.  Instead, he suggested the wording, "I have a lot on, but I am prioritising, I would like some help with X and it would be helpful if I could push out Y deadline." How much better is that! Not only does it show they are acutely aware of their priorities it also presents the boss with a solution. Coaching our team members to have this approach enables leaders to manage workload easier and ensure their team's mental health is prioritised.


A candid connection with supervisors is important, and one way to build this is by asking questions and coaching.  What are you busy with? Why are you finding it difficult to achieve what is required? Are you having difficulty focusing?  How can I remove some distractions for you? Is it the volume of work that is the problem? Is there a particular task that is taking longer than it should?  Helping to clarify this will enable an increase in productivity and encourage them to come to you with solutions. 


P.S. Difficulty focusing can be a symptom of anxiety, busy people are often anxious because they have a lot going on and not achieving enough thus exacerbating the anxiety.  If you know or are a high performer who is finding it difficult to concentrate, feels overwhelmed, is missing deadlines or making mistakes it is a sign you should take seriously.


If you are feeling busy overwhelmed and would like the opportunity to reevaluate, you might like to join me trekking in the Himalayas in November.




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