How to Politely Communicate to Your Colleagues That You’re Busy

Being busy isn’t something you should be ashamed about. A full schedule indicates you’re a hard-working professional who takes your job seriously. However, others may become frustrated if you’re always too preoccupied to address their needs or concerns. This is especially true if you tend to get frustrated or abrupt when someone asks for your attention inconveniently.

It can be irritating when others continually pester you about your schedule when you’re already feeling overloaded and overwhelmed. However, responding rudely can cause strain in your professional interactions and may even put your future career at risk. Directors and managers typically want to hire people who work well with others and can do the job. To let your colleagues know you value them, it’s essential to communicate your busyness respectfully. Here are some polite ways to let your colleagues know you’re busy.

Let Others See Your Availability

Many people enjoy feeling like they have privacy in the workplace. They intentionally keep their schedule private from others to maintain their confidentiality and flexibility. However, it’s wise to remember that privacy shouldn’t trump transparency —mainly when others rely on you to get things done. Plus, being secretive about your availability forces colleagues to pester you about your schedule anytime they need you.

If you tire of repeating your daily, weekly, or monthly agenda to others, it may be time to make things more automated. A team scheduling tool like Calendar, Google Calendar, or Microsoft Calendar can save you from the annoyance of repetition. Instead of telling others when you’re available, you can politely refer them to your calendar schedule. Then, they’ll be able to instantly see when you have time for that project update meeting. Don’t forget to sync your calendar to your phone so you never accidentally work through an important meeting again.

In addition to removing the need for verbal availability updates, a team scheduling calendar can prevent others from feeling snubbed. People sometimes get the wrong idea when you tell them you’re busy. They may think you’re making excuses not to reserve time for them. But if they can look at a shared calendar and see your schedule, they’re more likely to be understanding about your packed schedule.

Manage Expectations In Advance

Managing expectations in advance is essential if you know your schedule will soon be crazier than usual. For example, if you know you’ll quickly begin a massive project with a tight timeline, communicate that to your colleagues. Let them know your expected availability for the project’s duration. That way, they won’t feel blindsided when the project begins, and you’re suddenly almost impossible to contact.

Don’t keep that information to yourself if you plan to leave on a week-long business trip or personal vacation. Let others know in advance so they can plan accordingly. Some of your colleagues may have time-sensitive matters they need your help to handle before you leave. If you don’t tell them your plans, it could impact their ability to finish their job by a looming deadline.

When managing expectations regarding your schedule, always be polite. Say, “I’m going to be very swamped in a few weeks, but I’d love to help you with your needs before then.” You might also mention to colleagues that the week before your vacation could be unusually full, as well. This is when you may need to solidify pet care arrangements, get a medical checkup, or make last-minute changes to your itinerary. Your colleagues will appreciate the heads up and may choose to meet with you before your calendar fills up.

Offer Alternative Meeting Times

Many people struggle to say “no,” even if they have a valid reason. People who cannot establish boundaries by saying “no” may be more likely to experience burnout. If you were to take a poll, you’d probably discover that most people would instead be truthfully told “no” rather than disingenuously told “yes.” People who always say ” yes ” are more likely to over-promise and under-deliver, which is never a good thing.

No one can do everything or be everywhere at once. That’s why superheroes belong on the big screen and not in real life. To preserve your sanity and avoid chronically underperforming, understand that the word “no” is your friend, not your enemy. If someone insists you schedule a meeting with them during an already jam-packed week, it’s okay to say you can’t. There are polite ways to convey this message so you don’t offend the other person, including offering alternative meeting times.

When suggesting an alternative date, consider saying, “I’m sorry, but I am fully booked for the next few days. However, I do have some time next week.” Or you could smooth things over by saying, “I’m finishing up some urgent tasks today. Is there a time on Friday that might work for us both?” Offering an alternative helps the other person realize you genuinely want to meet their needs, even if you can’t do it right now.

Handle Interruptions With Grace

Despite your best efforts to be transparent about your schedule and share your plans with others, some may still insist on interrupting. A demanding client might keep calling you while in a meeting until you finally silence the phone or step out to answer. Or an upset coworker might barge into your office while you’re working on a time-sensitive project. Interruptions are bound to happen at some point, so it’s important to learn how to handle them with grace.

In the case of demanding clients who always call back until you answer, the solution may be to excuse yourself and answer the phone politely. Once you’ve responded, you can let the client know you’re preoccupied and will have to call them back. If possible, let them know when you will call them back so they don’t feel disregarded.

When dealing with interrupting coworkers, it’s still important to maintain a polite tone. If a colleague is upset and wants your help or feedback, try to be sensitive. Let them know you care about their feelings and want to help, but you’re busy now. Assure them that you want to give them your undivided attention and suggest a time when you’ll be able to do so.

Give Respect Where It’s Due

Sometimes, it may be your boss rather than a colleague who infringes on your busy schedule. In this situation, you must tread carefully to avoid offending your manager or being insubordinate. But it’s also important to be honest rather than take on more work than you can realistically handle. Fortunately, you can be honest while still being respectful.

If your manager assigns a task you know you can’t add to your already overloaded schedule, let them know. But don’t do it in a way that sounds like a refusal or ultimatum. For example, you wouldn’t want to say, “I can’t do that, sorry.” But you could say, “I am fully booked with these projects, but I could begin that project in two weeks.”

You could also defer to your manager by asking if the new project takes priority over the projects you’re currently working on. They may decide they want you to work on the latest project first and continue the others later. Or they may have forgotten how much you already have on your plate and decided to give the new project to someone more available.

Let your colleagues know when you’re preoccupied with other things so they don’t needlessly interrupt you. But it’s equally important to maintain good relationships to continue working well together. Fortunately, you can do both by using these tips to communicate to your colleagues that you’re busy politely.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Ivan Samkov; Pexels