"Do you have a minute? I just have a quick question." This sentence is the opening of a conversation that will take between fifteen and forty-five minutes. The question is not quick. The person asking it knows this. The person being asked knows this. The word "quick" is a social lubricant, not a time estimate.

Identifying characteristics

  • Prefaces every question with "quick question" regardless of the question's complexity
  • The quick question is usually the first of three questions
  • The third question is the one they actually came to ask
  • Appears at your desk or in your chat at the moment you have achieved focus
  • Ends the conversation with "one more thing" at least once

The anatomy of a quick question

The stated question: "Quick question about the timeline." (30 seconds)

The context they need to provide: Background on why they are asking, what they have already tried, and what they think the answer might be. (5 minutes)

The actual question: The real question, which is more complex than the stated question. (2 minutes to ask)

The discussion: The conversation that the question opens. (15 minutes)

The follow-up questions: The questions that arise from the discussion. (10 minutes)

The "one more thing": The question they forgot to ask. (5 minutes)

Total: Not quick.

Why they say "quick"

The Quick Question Person says "quick" because they are aware that they are asking for someone's time and they want to minimize the perceived imposition. The word "quick" is an apology and a reassurance. It is not a description.

How to work with them

If you have time, engage fully. The Quick Question Person often has genuinely useful questions. If you do not have time, say so: "I'm in the middle of something — can we schedule fifteen minutes this afternoon?" This is more honest than pretending the question will be quick.

The honest version: "I have a few questions that might take a while — do you have fifteen minutes?" is more accurate and more respectful than "quick question." It sets the right expectation and allows the other person to make an informed decision about their time.

Read next

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