The Myth of Being “Always Available”
In many workplaces, responsiveness is celebrated. The manager who replies instantly, the employee who’s always reachable, the leader who never says no to a late-night call—these are often seen as signs of commitment. But somewhere along the way, “being available” has quietly become a measure of worth. When Responsiveness Replaces Effectiveness The problem is, being always available doesn’t necessarily mean being effective. In fact, it often does the opposite. Endless availability erodes focus. It creates an environment where urgent replaces important, and where depth of thought is sacrificed for speed of response. I’ve seen teams where employees hesitate to log off because their manager might send “just one more” message. The work gets done—but at the cost of energy, creativity, and eventually, trust. The Hidden Message Leaders Send When leaders are always available, they may think they’re modeling commitment. But the hidden message to their teams is: “You should be too.” Over t...