Phrasing Project

[minoanmiss]

I love it here but I do need to remember/compose a non-D&D way to say "X is not a free action" Any given task takes time to complete and cannot just be mandated as if it can be done in an instant.

Comments

[flamingsword]

My husband uses, “That will take about ten minutes (or however long). Do you want that prioritized before or after X important thing I am working on right now?” Bc his boss is forever coming up with great new idea that all have to be done right this second. Except half of them are pointless and the other half have nothing to do with keeping their actual business running. (Long Covid brain fog really does a number on some folks.)

[magid]

I'd actually double the estimate, because it sounds like this person maybe an interruptasaurus, in which case it can take time to get back to where you were in whatever task you were working on.

[flamingsword]

🤔 That sounds like a good idea, or more like, add twenty minutes to the estimate to reticulate your splines back onto the first task. Thanks!

[sabotabby]

Hah! I keep wanting to tell my mum that talking isn't a free action but she doesn't play D&D and wouldn't get it.

[acelightning73]

As FlamingSword points out, you can just say "That will take X long if I drop everything else and start now. Tell me if it's that important."

[amaebi]

Wise.