Are you making your urgency their problem?

Make work easy for others.

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.