In Tuesday's post, I said that colleagues come first, and fast. Unless I'm in the middle of something truly urgent or complex, I make time for them, and I usually reply within minutes.

Today's tip is about why I do that, even when the question could wait, and even when the answer is one search away.

Let me be honest. Of all the messages colleagues send me, most are not urgent. They could get an answer tomorrow, and nothing would break.

And many of them could be answered with a quick search or a look at the documentation.

That's exactly the argument I hear for not answering. Some people go further: if a message just says "Hi" or "Hi, how are you?", they won't reply until the person explains what they want.

I agree that a good message gets to the point. When you reach out to someone, include the details up front. It saves everyone time.

But here's the funny part. Because the question isn't urgent, and because the person could find it on their own, many people don't answer at all. Or they answer days later.

I won't pretend I've always done it right. There were times when I thought I shouldn't reply, or that I should wait until someone sent me the exact question with every detail.

It doesn't work. The person asking for help ends up deciding you're not approachable, not someone who helps.

I'm not going to argue about who's right. Everyone decides their own approach. I went through those phases, and I reached my own conclusion: I want to talk to them, and I want to help. I've done it this way for many years, and it has paid off.

There's another reason too. Simple for me isn't simple for them. A question can look obvious from where I'm standing. On the other side, someone may have spent an hour stuck on it. That's why they asked.

Over the years, I've helped colleagues thousands of times. Most of the time, I never find out what happened next.

But I can remember about five times when the result was big. The work I helped with earned my colleagues awards and recognition. And my name wasn't on the list of people who contributed.

The first time, I'll admit, I didn't love it. Anyone would wonder: why wasn't I included? Was it on purpose?

I don't spend long on thoughts like that. If we fought every decision we didn't like, at work, in our families, anywhere, we'd never have peace. So I looked at it honestly.

It wasn't bad intent. They simply didn't think my name needed to be there. And to be fair, they weren't wrong. I help a lot of people, and many of those answers are quick ones. What they did do was thank me, sincerely, and that matters more to me.

If I helped people to collect credit, the help would be shallow. It wouldn't be intentional in the way I want it to be. And the outcome is uncertain anyway: out of thousands of conversations, I remember five big ones. You never know which answer will turn into something.

Over the years, colleagues have left me formal feedback through an internal tool. I went back through everything they wrote since 2021.

That's 97 notes from 86 colleagues. I removed every name and every customer, then grouped the words they used into themes.

The biggest theme wasn't technical. About half of the notes mention my willingness to help. Technical depth comes right after it, together with collaboration and mentoring.

A few lines made me smile. One colleague called me the "Copilot" of the team. Another said that when urgent database questions came up, I was the first person they thought of. And one wrote something that connects directly to the story above: that a rare quality was "willingness to share credit honestly and generously."

Then I split the notes by who wrote them, and something interesting showed up.

The same habit looks different depending on where you stand:

Answering fast didn't build one reputation. It built three, one for each group of people I worked with.

The feedback wasn't all praise, and it shouldn't be. A few colleagues told me to take breaks, and one suggested I bring others into long-running threads earlier, so the team doesn't depend only on me.

They're right. Being available doesn't mean dropping everything. Urgent and complex work still comes first. The habit only works with a few rules.

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This applies far beyond tech. The next time someone sends you a "Hi," answer within the hour, even if it's just to say "I'm here, what's up?"

And think of the colleague who always answers yours. Send them a thank-you today. It costs nothing, and I promise it will be remembered longer than any award.

Then reply to this email and tell me: are you the person who answers fast, or the one who waits for the full question? I read every reply.

If you know someone who's always there for their team, forward this to them.

How I write: every post starts from my own notes and experience. I use AI tools to help draft and edit, and I review every word before it goes out.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Microsoft. The author is a Microsoft employee. Feedback quotes are anonymous and shared without names or customer details.