I was asked, “Aunty, how to Taichi work professionally without being too obvious, especially with senior management?”
Okay, first of all, professional Taichi is not about avoiding work. It’s about managing expectations without looking uncooperative.
Here are three things you can do.
☝️ Clarity priorities instead of immediately say no.
When your bosses give you another assignment while you’re already overloaded, ask, “Boss, I’m currently working on these three things. Which one would you like me to prioritise?” And if your boss says everything is urgent, explain what can realistically be completed and what may need to be delayed.
✌️ Redirect responsibilities without pushing problems to somebody else.
Sometimes, we’re asked to do things that don’t even fall under our department’s responsibilities. Instead of saying, “Not my job!”, try asking, “Would it make more sense for the other department to lead this while I provide support?” See… you’re not rejecting responsibility. You’re proposing a more effective way to get things done.
👌 Offer solutions instead of just highlighting problems (so important).
If you genuinely cannot meet the deadline, explain why and offer alternatives. For example, “I can complete this by Friday, or we can bring in additional support if you need it be Wednesday.”
But here’s something important.
If you’ve communicated your workload, clarified priorities and offered reasonable solutions, yet your boss still expects you to perform miracles…
Then maybe the problem isn’t your ability to Taichi. It’s your boss’s inability to manage expectations.
Remember, being professional doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. It means knowing what we can deliver, communicating what we cannot and taking responsibility for what we’ve agreed to.
All the best with your negotiations!
xoxoxo, AuntyHR
