The Focus to Say No (2011)
When I was younger and sort of just starting out, I thought this way.  My boss had given me a set of goals to work on, so I would focus on these goals to the exclusion of everything else.  If somebody came and asked for help, I'd tell them I didn't have time to help, because I was busy focusing on the stuff that I was <i>supposed</i> to be doing.<p>What I found, the hard way, is that all of those people I refused to help badmouthed me behind my back, and I got a reputation for being unhelpful (which was fair, because I was!).  Come review time, all of this negative feedback was a big topic of conversation.<p>Finally I got the hint and did a complete 180 - if somebody asked for my help, at any time, I dropped everything and focused on helping them.  I fell behind on what I was "supposed" to be doing, but I also kept close track of where the interruptions were coming from, just in case.<p>Now, come review time, my boss didn't even seem to care that I never met any of my goals, and talked on and on about what a great reputation I had.  One boss after another, consistently, every time.