It’s never just one more thing.
Leaders often don’t realize the impact of adding “just a quick task” to their team’s plate. A Slack message here, a meeting request there, a small favor that “won’t take long.” But over time, these extras stack up. What feels minor in the moment can quietly chip away at trust, performance, and team morale.
The Invisible Load
Small asks don’t always seem like a big deal. They aren’t emergencies, they don’t come with a formal deadline, and they’re usually phrased as requests rather than demands. But that’s exactly why they fly under the radar. Each “just one more thing” becomes another distraction that breaks focus, interrupts deep work, and adds stress.
When team members are juggling complex projects or already stretched thin, these unplanned requests create mental load. People don’t just need time to complete the task, you’re also asking them to reprioritize, context switch, and potentially delay other commitments. Do that often enough, and you’ll find:
- Deadlines start slipping.
- Team members stop volunteering for projects.
- Burnout builds slowly, then all at once.
The Trust Breakdown
One of the fastest ways to erode trust as a leader is to underestimate someone else’s workload. If your team starts to feel like their capacity isn’t being respected, they may hesitate to speak up, or worse, they may start quietly disengaging.
Small asks become a signal: “Your time is flexible, mine is more important.”
That perception, even if unintentional, undermines psychological safety. Team members might begin to wonder: Do they even see how much I’m juggling? Do they value my boundaries?
What to Do Instead
You don’t have to stop making requests, but you do need to be more intentional.
Here’s how:
1. Pause Before You Add
Before asking, ask yourself: Does this need to happen now? Could it wait? Could someone else do it? Pausing before you assign tasks builds discipline around prioritization.
2. Be Transparent About Priorities
Let your team know what matters most, and why. If everything is a top priority, nothing is. If you’re adding a new ask, help them understand what it should replace—or give them the freedom to push back.
3. Set the Tone Around “Quick Favors”
Create a culture where it’s okay for team members to say no or ask for clarity when something new comes in. Normalize responses like, “I can do that—should I pause X to make space?”
4. Protect Focused Time
Build in space for deep work. Limit non-essential meetings, encourage “no meeting” blocks, and avoid unnecessary check-ins during crunch periods.
Leadership Is Capacity Management
Strong leadership isn’t just about setting vision and holding accountability, it’s about protecting your team’s bandwidth. That means seeing the whole picture, not just the task in front of you. Because at the end of the day, “just one more thing” might be the thing that pushes someone too far.
Lead with awareness. Ask with intention. And remember: the way you treat your team’s time says a lot about how much you trust and respect them.