It’s not always clear when you are accommodating someone and when you are being taken advantage of. I know I wrestle with how many times I allow others to revise my schedule without implication to them or whether being flexible is just part of my contracted services. I wonder if it is compassionate to allow students to turn in projects late or whether agreeing to read their work separately only rewards poor time management habits in addition to messing with my calendar. My friend in construction is also often called to juggle his priorities, many times in the evenings and on weekends by pleading clients. Is his willingness to rearrange his workload a smart business move or the inability to set reasonable boundaries? It is difficult to know.
Some people are very comfortable working in a fluid environment where things are constantly changing and the work-of-the-day is whatever squeaks the loudest that morning. Others work better when there is some anticipated structure and planning involved. Either way, there is transition time and mental energy involved when it is necessary to switch things around and re-juggle tasks or schedules.
We don’t always have the luxury of choosing the conditions of our own work but we can increase the awareness of our impact on others. The next time you are tempted to disregard a deadline or to ask for special consideration on a project, remember that you are just one piece of a larger puzzle. For you to zig, someone else must zag. You’ll all get dizzy if you do it routinely.
