You Scheduled Time to Focus:
Workplace Distractions Laughed and Brought Snacks
You cared out the time, turned off your notifications to remove workplace distractions. Maybe you’ve even gathered your team around a campfire (or at least a flip chart), and focused on what matters most. Strategy. Innovation. That MIT (Most Important Thing) you’ve been meaning to tackle. You found your Zen.
And then?
Here come the monkeys.
Workplace distractions in disguise, dropping from the trees like a chaotic flash mob. One swings in on Slack. Another climbs out of your calendar. Your boss appears with just one more thing. Your phone? Full-blown monkey carrier.
🐒 The Monkeys Are Back (and They Brought Friends)
Today’s “Asking for a Friend” advice comes from the Lady Budha Temple in Da Nang, Vietnam, where we were on a Courageous Leadership speaking tour in partnership with Together We Can Change the World.
Watch this video from the Lady Budha Temple in Da Nang, Vietnam.
So how do you stay focused on your most important priorities without turning into the leader version of that viral “nope” meme?
🐐 Start With a GOAT
When someone’s asking for help, start with a GOAT Powerful Phrase from Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict:
“What would a successful outcome do for you?”
This is leadership gold for managing workplace distractions. It has two benefits.
It creates clarity about what the other person wants.
And, it might reveal that their ask isn’t nearly as big as it first sounded.
You might discover they don’t need a full rescue—just a rope. Or better yet, a referral.
🎯 Be Clear About Your Needs
Next, it’s time to advocate for yourself with compassion and courage.
Try something like:
“I had planned to focus this time on [insert priority]. I want to be helpful—let’s talk about other ways I might support you.”
You’re not saying no. You’re saying not like that, not right now. You’re inviting them into a more strategic conversation.
🤔 Ask, Don’t Assume
Instead of defaulting to “Sure, I’ll do it,” try:
“What’s the timeline for this?”
“What have you tried so far?”
“Who else might be a good fit to help?”
These curiosity-based GOATs flip the script. Now they’re thinking strategically, and you get to protect your calendar without guilt. You help them without taking on their workplace distractions.
See Also: Empower Your Team to Make Better Decisions (Video)
📚 Offer Resources, Not Rescue
Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is point people to tools, templates, or training—especially if they just need a boost, not a business partner.
Consider:
“I’ve got a great resource that helped me when I ran into something similar. Want me to send it your way?”
Support doesn’t always have to mean doing the thing.
📅 Schedule, Don’t Shoulder
If it is something you can help with—just not today—offer a future slot.
“Could we circle back to this next week when I can give it proper attention?”
Boundaries. Maintained. Trust. Preserved.
The Bottom Line?
Your strategy deserves protection. Your time is finite. And your monkeys? They’re sneaky. But with a few GOAT-level phrases and a healthy dose of leadership clarity, you can stay focused and show up supportive.
And next time someone asks you to jump in and save the day?
You can smile, take a breath, and say:
“Tell me more.”
Because you’ve got this. And the workplace distraction monkeys?
They’ll have to find someone else’s strategy meeting to crash.
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