Story 3: The Urgent Deliverable

How immediate is the urgent task the manager is asking for? Is it needed by tomorrow, next week, or next month?

Meet Sam, the unlucky associate working with a project manager who considers everything urgent...

Sam is new to the company and doesn't know about the deadline. His manager contacts him at 3 pm, saying, "Hey Sam, I have a task for you. It's straightforward; you just need to input some numbers and do a bit of research. It will only take a few hours, but it's urgent. You understand, the team is very busy since it's the peak season, so could you handle this?"

Sam expresses his commitment by saying, "Sure sir! No problem! When is the deadline?" Uriq replies, "It's tomorrow. If you can send it over by noon my time, it should be fairly simple." The supposedly simple task causes Sam to work through the night, and he manages to deliver it by noon the next day. Weeks go by, and a month later, Uriq asks for a quick call. Sam agrees, and Uriq starts screen sharing, questioning Sam about the presentation format and the source of the data. This urgent task, for which Sam stayed up all night, is reviewed a month later, with questions about his thought process, which he no longer remembers. Generally, urgent requests from managers or PMs aren't as pressing as they seem. It's better to agree initially and then request an extension. If possible, obtain the original client deadline email to avoid working through the night.

P.S. I advise against arguing or being to adamant

, as it can lead to negative outcomes, but that's a discussion for another time.