Are you busy?

Standard question for anyone whose working - not covid related - it gives the other person a good opportunity to have a moan which people love doing.

It's not normally an insult but maybe a nerve has been touched....
 
Just small talk isnt it?

Or could be coded talk, I get it with the company I subcontract for. "have you been busy?" = "is there a logical reason I have had to wait this long for you to turn up?"
 
Busy? No, not at all. We just like to park 30 ambulances outside, open up the corridor to 15 extra triage bedspaces and have 10 patients in an 8-bay resus. unit for the fun of it. Oh, is that the 3rd helicopter in the past 2 hours? Like I said pal, no not busy at all. I realise you're probably not in the best of minds right now, but your eyes are open and you can see.
 
Malevolence said:
Busy? No, not at all. We just like to park 30 ambulances outside, open up the corridor to 15 extra triage bedspaces and have 10 patients in an 8-bay resus. unit for the fun of it. Oh, is that the 3rd helicopter in the past 2 hours? Like I said pal, no not busy at all. I realise you're probably not in the best of minds right now, but your eyes are open and you can see.
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I managed to get chemical burns all over my toes (don't ask), I must admit the NHS have been great.

Thank you.
 
It's polite small talk when people are forced into a position of needing to deal with someone for X transaction that may take time. What you describe has always been the case, it's nothing new and certainly not some magical post Covid phenomenon.

Taxi driving, delivery drivers from the likes of Tesco etc especially.

People feel awkward with silent interaction, it's that simple, if you're getting angry at having to deal with that sort of thing frequently I'd suggest a career change.
 
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Diddums x said:
Headphones for me. Works a treat. Apart from when sat at my desk and they just pester me anyway :rolleyes:
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Some people don’t respect the headphones as they believe that they are important enough….

I’ve been sat there in a dark office behind a closed door with headphones on, super focused in with multiple screens while reorganising OUs and group policies..

Next thing I know my chair was shaking… turned around and it was some user coming in to ask for a USB pen…

It was a super short convo… then after I was finished, followed by lengthy “training” with my colleague that told the user to interrupt me.

At a previous place we used to have to wear a red hat (supplied by red hat themselves) when making changes to tell people, interruptions are punished by death; unless it was a life or death matter.

With any major changes at my current place, i do then at home with teams not loaded on my device, with a message to my boss to call me if needed to halt or rollback that change.

Perfect example… I was interrupted by a colleague whom was rather upset.

“xxxx is demanding to speak to you now, I’ve told them that your busy but they not talking no for an answer..”

“Ok patch them though”…

X: “oh finally.. I’ve been trying all day to speak to you but everyone kept telling me you were busy… [insert pointless chit chat]… the printer isn’t working”…

Me: “have you or anyone logged a ticket for it?”

X: “no.. but we need the printer working”

Me: “do you want to get paid this Friday?”

X: “yeah off course! …”

Me: “well as I’ve been trying to fix the payroll system before tonight’s cut off deadline.. so that everyone in the company can get paid on Friday. Let me pass you back to [colleague], so they can log a ticket for you and I’ll make sure that it gets looked at by someone as soon as possible.. but in the meantime you can print to the central printers and collect the printout from down the corridor, is that ok?”

X: “oh… ok thanks…”

The list is endless… /faceplam

When some tells you that they are busy.. even after you tell them why you need to speak to them, please trust them, they really shouldn’t have to explain themselves but if needed speak to their boss to see if someone else can help.
 
Thekwango said:
always have a sheet of paper rolled up in your hand and occasionally furrow your brow and look annoyed. folk won't want to ask what's up, in case your problem becomes their problem.
might go for a nap now. i'm not that busy really.
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****, he's on to my method!

I do worry that I'm just performing busyness a lot, or at least broadcasting that I am in fact doing something productive and not just sitting staring. If anything I distract myself from useful tasks worrying about what it looks like.

I catch myself doing the same while washing up or hoovering. "Do my neighbours think I'm some weirdo polishing the dishes and peering at each one meticulously?"
 
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