How do you politely ask for urgency?

Okay, so how do you ask for something urgently without sounding like a jerk? It’s tough, right? I mean, “ASAP” feels so blunt, like I’m barking orders. I remember once asking a coworker for something “as quickly as you can” and they looked so stressed! I felt terrible.

I’ve tried things like, “I’d really appreciate it if you could hurry,” but sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. Like, they say they will, but then it’s still hours later and I’m twiddling my thumbs. You know that feeling?

Another one I use is, “I know you’re busy, but this is a priority for me.” It kind of works, but it still feels a little passive-aggressive, doesn’t it? Like, I’m low-key guilt-tripping them. Ugh.

And then there’s the classic, “I’ll need that soon.” Yeah, “soon” could mean anything! Like, next week? Next month? Not helpful when I actually need it, like, now.

Honestly, the whole thing is a minefield. I hate putting pressure on people. I remember this one time in college, I needed a friend to finish a part of our group project, and I was so stressed about the deadline I kept nagging her. She ended up snapping at me, and rightfully so! It was awful. So now I’m super cautious.

Ideally, they’d just know how urgent it is without me having to spell it out. But wishful thinking, huh? Maybe the trick is to just be super direct but also explain why it’s urgent? Like, “Hey, I need this by [specific time] because [brief explanation of consequence].” Is that too much? I don’t know! This whole “polite urgency” thing is a real struggle.