3. The “Hi, Have We Met Before? Can You Do Me a Quick Favor?” Person
On any team you’ll work on, there will be people who will take a vested interest in you as a person before they start asking for help. And when they ask for your assistance, it’ll be because you’re a respected colleague with valuable insights and skills to share.
But then there are those who ask you for help because they know you can do the task at hand. I’m not suggesting that you should only help co-workers you’re friendly with at the office, but it’s not a great feeling when you only hear from certain people when they’ve got a huge deadline coming up.
The Response
It’s obviously grating to have someone constantly ask you for favors without even asking how your day is going. And because it’s so annoying, it’s also natural to want to snap at that person. But, before you write that three-paragraph email to tell him or her to shove it, think about what you want from this relationship.
Is it nothing? If so, use the email template from number one. But if you want to get to know this person because it’ll make your day-to-day job better, invite him or her to coffee. It’s possible that he has no idea how he’s coming off in emails—and it’s also possible you could become friends. The more you like each other, the less likely this person will try to pawn off his work on you. Or, the more likely you’ll be to want to jump in and help when you do have the time. It’s a hypothetical win-win.
You should be commended for having a natural instinct for helping people. However, that doesn’t mean you should be taken advantage of just because you’re so willing to go above and beyond. Use your judgment, and if you think someone is just being a little lazy about the tasks on his or her plate, feel free to take it as a compliment for a minute. After all, you’re only being asked because it’s obvious you’re sharp. But once you’ve let your ego bask in the glory, be an advocate for yourself and do what’s in your own best interest.