Live coaching office hour for new professionals.
Meet up with fellow professionals—new career or changing careers—in a virtual space where you can track your work accomplishments, articulate your skills, troubleshoot challenges, share experiences, and receive guidance in addition to what your organization provides. REGISTER TODAY
Tunnel vision happens when you focus only on your own deadlines and stress levels. You might feel that as long as you hit your targets, you’re doing a great job; but you’re ignoring how your work habits affect the rest of the team. If you send urgent requests at the last minute or leave colleagues guessing about your needs, you unintentionally create friction.
Value your teammates’ time just as much as you value your own. This means considering their schedules and stress levels before you hit send on an email or an assignment. Build small, professional habits—like putting a clear due date in your subject lines or summarizing a long email thread so a busy colleague doesn’t have to read the whole thing. These gestures show you understand that your success is tied to the team’s overall efficiency.
Being a great teammate also means using your communication skills to be a bridge for others. If you’re in a meeting and notice a quieter peer is being overlooked, use your platform to bring them into the conversation. This goes beyond being kind to ensuring the team has the best information possible.
Shift from “me” to “we” to become a professional who makes everyone around you better.
Put these approaches into practice.
Let’s look at practical ways to replace work habits that create friction for others and hinder the organization’s progress.
“I used to send every request with a ‘high priority’ flag because I was stressed. My teammates started ignoring my emails. I pivoted to subject lines like: [ACTION NEEDED] Review Draft by Friday 3PM. Suddenly, my response rate doubled. I realized that respecting their calendar was the fastest way to get them to respect mine.”
DON’T send emails with vague subject lines or leave colleagues guessing about when you actually need a response.
DO put clear due dates and action items in your subject lines to help busy teammates prioritize their own schedules.
“I once forwarded a 20-email chain to our Director of Ops, asking for ‘thoughts.’ He never replied. My mentor told me, ‘You gave him homework, not a question.’ Now, I summarize the key points and specific asks at the very top. He replies within minutes now because I’ve removed the friction of him having to dig for information.”
DON’T forward long, messy email threads and expect a busy colleague to read the whole history to understand what you need.
DO summarize the thread and provide the bottom line up front so your teammate can take action immediately.
“I was in a project meeting where the junior designer was clearly trying to speak but was being talked over. I said, ‘Before we move on, I’m curious to hear what Sarah thinks about the layout constraints.’ Sarah shared a flaw in our plan that saved us three weeks of re-work. My manager later noted that my bridge building was a sign of leadership.”
DON’T stay silent when you notice a quieter peer or a teammate from a different department is being overlooked in a meeting.
DO use your platform to bring others into the conversation, ensuring the team has access to the best information possible.
“I used to finish my part of a report at 4:30 PM on Friday and expect the Graphics team to polish it by 5:00. After a tense meeting, I realized I was the friction point on the team. I started giving them a 24-hour heads up that my work was coming. Our relationship improved instantly, and the quality of their work got better because they weren’t rushed.”
DON’T let your own lack of planning become an urgent emergency for someone else.
DO consider your teammates’ stress levels and schedules before hitting send on a request, providing as much lead time as possible.
“I realized that our team’s shared folder was a disaster, making it hard for everyone to find files. Even though it wasn’t my job, I spent an hour organizing the file structure and creating a naming guide. That small act of service earned me more respect than any data report ever did.”
DON’T assume that as long as you hit your personal targets, your impact on the team is positive.
DO intentionally build small habits that make everyone around you better and more efficient.
Before you send your next request to a teammate, ask yourself: “Have I made this as easy as possible for them to answer, or am I making my urgency their problem?”
Integrate these professional strategies into your workflow—whether you’re refining your own work or mentoring your team or clients.
