I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

The stoic talks about taking a step back from requests coming from frustrating co-workers or bosses. Our initial reaction is to object and possibly deny. This tends to escalate situations, when there really is no need. I think there are certain points where standing your ground is warranted. Unfortunately, most of the time the requests are reasonable and we’re letting our feelings get in the way.

I’ve recently had a change of heart at work. I’m trying to protect my teams time and work. That’s led to rejecting certain opportunities when I asked. That attitude started to have a negative vibe on the team. I’ve since reversed course and am more willing to help on requests rather than reject them outright. If it’s coming from a frustrating co-worker I will sit down to see how I can best support them. The results have been positive.