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If you've ever created the perfect resource only to have people completely ignore it and ask you directly instead, this one's for you.
I was leading a large project for the global HR team—managing structure, timelines, and training for an annual HR process. We're talking hundreds of HR reps, coordinators, and analysts who needed to follow the project guidance.
I did everything right. I developed comprehensive training materials. I created on-demand resources so people could quickly find answers and get guidance on the go. I thought I was being helpful and proactive.
But here's what happened instead.
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I ran this cycle for several years in a row, so people got to know who I was. And instead of using the materials and training I provided... they would just call or message me on Teams with their questions.
Every. Single. Day.
With hundreds of people involved, this became completely overwhelming. My phone was constantly buzzing. My Teams notifications were non-stop. I couldn't concentrate on my actual work because I was too busy being everyone's personal Google.
I was working extra hours just to catch up on the work I couldn't do during the day because I was answering questions that were literally answered in the resources I'd already created.
Sound familiar?
You've become the human FAQ for your team. People bypass your carefully created documentation to ask you directly. You're spending hours answering the same questions over and over instead of doing your actual job.
And here's the kicker: you feel guilty saying "check the resources" because it seems rude or unhelpful.
But here's what I finally realized:
"Why am I making it easier for people to interrupt me than to help themselves?"
I had trained an entire organization to come to me first instead of trying to find the answer themselves. I was enabling learned helplessness while drowning in interruptions.
It was time to get strategically selfish about my time and attention.
Here's the framework that gave me my sanity back:
1. Redirect with value Instead of just answering, I started saying: "Great question! I actually covered this in the project guide. Here's the link + the exact section that addresses your situation: [specific reference]."
2. The teaching moment "I want to make sure you can find this info quickly in the future. It's in the project portal under 'Timeline Guidelines.' Let me know if that doesn't fully answer your question!"
3. The boundary script "I've batched my Q&A time to Fridays from 2-3 PM. Can you add this to the running list and I'll address it then? For urgent issues, the escalation process is in section 3 of the guide."
4. The empowerment approach "You're totally capable of finding this! Check the training materials first, and if you're still stuck after trying, then ping me with what specifically you couldn't find."
Advanced tactics that changed everything:
For repeat offenders: "I noticed this is the third time this week you've asked instead of checking the resources. What's making it difficult to find answers there? Let's solve that."
For the lazy questioners: "Before I answer, can you tell me where you looked first? I want to make sure our resources are working."
For the urgent-everything people: "Help me understand why this can't wait until the scheduled Q&A time. What's the business impact if this gets answered tomorrow?"
The result? People started actually using the resources I'd created. My interruptions dropped by 80%. I got my focus back. And the best part? People became more self-sufficient and confident in finding answers themselves.
This week's strategically selfish challenge:
Pick your most common interruption question- the one you get asked constantly even though you know the answer exists in your documentation. The next time someone asks it, redirect them to your existing resource instead of just answering.
Yes, it might feel awkward at first. You might worry they'll think you're being unhelpful.
But you know what's actually unhelpful? Training people to interrupt you instead of developing their own problem-solving skills.
Start with one redirect this week. Use the value-redirect script. See what happens.
Your future focused, uninterrupted self will thank you.
What's the question you get asked most that already has an answer somewhere? Hit reply and let me know. I read every email.
Keep up the momentum,
Cassie
P.S. The beautiful irony? When you stop being everyone's personal FAQ, they actually start respecting the resources you created. Turns out, making people work a little harder for answers makes them value those answers more. Who knew?