Not consuming what belongs to other people.
WHY IT MATTERS
Your requests consume other people's capacity.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE ASKING FOR ANYTHING
Whether you need it Who genuinely needs to be involved How much of their time it requires
WHAT TO PROVIDE WHEN ASKING
What you need Why By when What you have already done
WHY THAT LAST POINT
It prevents duplicated effort and it shows the request is considered.
WHAT TO AVOID
Vague requests Requests without deadlines Urgency created by your own delay Copying people who do not need it
WHY URGENCY FROM YOUR DELAY
It transfers your problem to someone else.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE LATE
Say so, and ask rather than demand.
WHAT MEETINGS COST
Their duration multiplied by everyone present.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Calling unnecessary meetings is expensive and invisible.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Whether the people invited are actually needed.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT INFORMATION
Send it rather than meeting about it.
WHAT TO RESPECT
Other people's protected time.
WHY
Interrupting someone concentrating costs far more than the interruption.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Whether something can wait until a scheduled point.
WHAT TO PROVIDE WHEN DELEGATING
Enough context to act without returning to you.
WHY
Incomplete delegation produces repeated interruption.
WHAT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
Time others gave you.
