How to escape the “Got a Minute?” trap

“Got a minute?” is how problems sneak onto your desk wearing someone else’s name tag.

Say yes too often, and you say no to focus, strategy, and deep work.

It’s part of a culture I call Turd Observing—spotting problems and handing them upwards like gifts no one wants to unwrap.

I spoke with a CFO this week about AI in their team. I asked: If you had a magic wand, what would you use it on?

The answer: fewer “Got a minute?” requests. More initiative. More strategic thinking. Less dependence on the boss to solve every problem.

AI makes that shift possible. Not to replace thinking, but to accelerate it. To test ideas, ask better questions, and explore what's already been done.

When team members use AI before they escalate, they stop outsourcing their thinking, and start owning it and that gets more problems solved.

You save time. They build confidence. Everyone levels up.

So next time someone asks, “Got a minute?” try replying: “What have you already tried? And what did AI suggest?”

Because the real barrier isn’t the tool. It’s breaking a habit.