How to escape the “Got a Minute?” trap

“Got a minute?” requests are 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 using AI in their team. I asked: If you had a magic wand, what would be one behaviour you’d want to see changed in the next year?

The answer: fewer “Got a minute?” requests. People taking more initiative. Doing more strategic thinking. Being less dependant on the boss to solve every difficult problem they find.

AI makes this shift easier. Not to replace thinking, but to augment 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 builds capability to get more problems solved.

Leaders save time. Teams 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?”

The real barrier isn’t learning to use AI. It’s breaking old habits.

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