Unrealistic requests

Sometimes I receive weird requests demanding a lot of different information related to something related to my duties, but that are special requests that are out of the standard reporting rules.

These requests have some of these features:

• They are not linked with any major initiative, program or business standard process.
• The delivery date is unrealistic: tonight, the end of the week…
• The goal of the request is not clear.
• There has not been previous communication related to it.

I have to attend customers, team members, service delivery reporting, financial reporting, audit reporting, local reporting, global reporting, country reporting, specific RFPs references….

We have standard reports, but there are organizations and people who do not know how to fit to them or do not understand the information they are requiring.

So, for these cases I’m sorry but, I always try to be realistic, analyze exactly what they are demanding, and act properly with the principles of the common sense, the least common of all senses.