Workplace battlefield
Just Get It Done: The Power of Picking Your Battles in the Workplace
Did you just CC’d the boss in on this email? This time it is the wrong move!
How much time have you wasted arguing over tasks that could’ve been done in less time than it takes to complain?
Are you fighting battles that aren't worth your energy?
What’s the bigger picture—your pride, or the progress of the task?
Ever found yourself knee-deep in an email war over something trivial? You know the kind—the back-and-forth of “But I thought it was optional?” or “Wasn’t someone else supposed to do that?” Before you know it, half the team is CC’d, your boss is looped in, and a simple task has turned into a mountain of miscommunication. Reality, the energy you’ve wasted on complaints could’ve finished the job twice over.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Challenging certain scenarios or asking questions can be good, even necessary. But knowing when to pick your battles is a skill many in the workplace have yet to master. You don’t have to die on every hill, especially when the task at hand is minor. Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is to just get it done. The truth is, complaining about it not only wastes your time but also costs your organization time and resources.
A real-life scenario from my client recently. Imagine your team is asked to schedule some tasks into a spreadsheet—a 3-minute job max, maybe 5 for fun. Half the team knocks it out by the suggested deadline, but the other half? Not so much. When the stragglers are reminded that they’re overdue, guess what happens? Yep, an email war erupts. “But I thought it was optional,” “We weren’t given a hard deadline,” back and forth it goes. The simple task that could’ve been completed in minutes now involves senior management, wasting hours of everyone’s time. Sound familiar?
If those individuals spent the same time just getting it done instead of arguing, the whole situation would’ve been a non-issue. This is where reading the room comes in handy—understanding when it’s worth speaking up, and when it’s smarter to just push through.
Take the high road
Sometimes, the most strategic move is a brief, emotionless reply: “Apologies for the delay, I’ve completed the task now. Just for clarity, we were initially informed by X that this was optional. There may be some miscommunication within the team.” It’s factual, it’s respectful, and—most importantly—the task is done. You’ve made your point without wasting hours, and your sanity remains intact.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s the real lesson: stop wasting more time complaining about the task than it takes to complete it. Yes, it might feel unjust. Yes, you might have been told something else. But at the end of the day, it’s the trivial tasks that clog up your energy pipeline and drain everyone around you. This behaviour doesn’t elevate you in the workplace, nor does it paint you in a favourable light with higher-ups.
What does elevate you? Efficiency. Flexibility. Knowing when to let it go and when to fight for what’s important. Trivial tasks aren't your battlefield; they're not worth your energy.
So, next time:
Before you hit “Reply All” with a 500-word argument about why you shouldn’t have to do something, ask yourself, Is this really worth it? Could the time I’m about to spend complaining be better used getting the job done and moving forward?
Your time matters!
Time is your most valuable resource, so why waste it on complaints? Instead of fighting every battle, choose wisely. Progress, not pride, should guide your actions in the workplace. Your sanity—and your productivity—will thank you for it. And who knows, maybe the next time you’re asked to do something trivial, you’ll find the power in just getting it done.