Is this an adjustment, or am I being played?

Nobody says it out loud, but I'd bet most managers have thought it at least once.

It's a fair question. It usually comes from wanting to be fair to everyone.

Here's what might surprise you: I've thought it too. About myself.

The first adjustment I asked for was simple: written instructions in a "what, by when" format, with regular check-ins to make sure the new approach was working.

While I waited for the answer, the voice in my head wasn't worried about a "no". It was saying:

"You're getting something extra. That's an unfair advantage."
"They'll think you're overthinking it."

The one that stung most: "They'll stop coming to you." Even if I was the best person for the job, it would be easier to ask someone who didn't need things written down.

Then, when I made a mistake (as we all do), it felt like the new method got the blame, not the simple fact that I'm human.

So here's what I've learned. An adjustment isn't a head start. It puts you on the same starting line everyone else is already standing on. The person asking for it is usually far more worried about fairness than you are.

One thing to try: next time someone with an adjustment gets something wrong, ask yourself, "Would I blame the method if anyone else had made this mistake?" Then keep going to them first.

Have you ever asked for something at work and worried how it looked?

Next Wednesday: "If I give them that, everyone will want it."

The small print: Yes, AI helped. Claude (and occasionally its LLM cousins) helps me turn my notes into structure and makes the image. The stories, the lived experience and the questionable jokes are all mine. Structure is my adjustment, and it turns out AI is rather good at it. More on that another week…

This first appeared on LinkedIn on 30 September 2026. Join the conversation there.