March 13, 2020
Handling Ad-Hoc Requests From an Old Project
Updated September 2026: in March 2020 I agreed, as a favour, to help an old delivery team with "a small request", and it turned into two days of back-to-back calls. I have rewritten it into advice on handling ad-hoc requests from past projects without losing your current work.
I had a good rapport with the delivery lead from a previous project, so when he asked for support, I persuaded my manager to allow it. Only after I was added to the main email thread did I see the size of it: a full day for one part, and two days of focus overall. I got it done through two days of calls and constant revisions, and told the lead afterwards that I could not keep taking ad-hoc requests like this.
Why do small favours from old projects grow?
Because the request is described from the requester's side, where the context is obvious and the effort feels small. You see the real size only once you have the full thread. By then you have already said yes, and your manager has already agreed on your behalf.
What should you ask before agreeing?
- Ask to see the full thread first, before committing time.
- Ask for the deliverable and deadline in one sentence.
- Estimate the hours yourself and share the estimate back.
- Agree a limit: "I can give you six hours this week" is a clear commitment; "I'll help out" is not.
How do you tell your manager?
With the estimate and the trade-off. If you persuade your manager to let you help, as I did, be clear what slips on your current work as a result. Managers who agree to a vague favour often feel misled when it turns into days.
What if it has already grown?
Stop and re-scope at the point you realise, not at the end. Tell the requester what is left, how long it will take and what you can realistically finish. Offer to hand the rest to someone on their current team with a short brief. Finishing everything through sheer effort, as I did, gets the work done but teaches everyone that your time is free.
How do you set a boundary without damaging the relationship?
Say it after you deliver, not in the middle, and keep it about your allocation rather than the person: "Happy to have helped close this. Going forward I will need these to come through my manager so they are planned." Good working relationships survive a clear boundary. They suffer more from quiet resentment built up over repeated favours.