Just one more thing...
· My parents called to say they’re coming. They arrive tomorrow and will be here for two months.
· I’ve been short of breath for the last three months and have coughed up blood a few times.
· We’re closing down the Hyderabad office.
How often have you heard or uttered the words ‘just one more thing’, or JOMT? The phrase sounds innocuous enough and is always uttered with a practiced casualness, as if it’s a sudden idea plucked from the sky. In reality, JOMT is a verbal smokescreen that hides a minefield of unspoken anxieties or stark, unwelcome news.
The phenomenon plays out in both professional and personal contexts. After a lengthy consultation with your doctor, where you’ve detailed every ache and sniffle, you’re finally at the door. The doctor’s hand is on the phone, ready to call in the next patient, when you say: “Oh, doctor, just one more thing...”
Boom, the situation changes. Because the JOMT isn’t a minor malady; it’s the real reason for you coming into the clinic, the problem that keeps you up at night. You were just too nervous to mention it till now.
The ominous phrase pops up at work too; in fact, it’s a common closing line at meetings. After a long project update, your manager might say, “Okay, that covers everything. Oh, just one more thing—the client called and the deadline is now three days earlier.” Oops, JOMT just upended a successful update.
Job interviews aren’t necessarily JOMT-proof. Consider the interview where all the questions have been answered and the handshakes done, when the candidate speaks up: “Just one more thing. My current company requires a six-month notice period. Will that be a problem?” Yes boss, it will. Your ‘thing’ isn’t a trivial addendum; it’s a potential deal-breaker.
So, why do we do it? Why do we put our most vital concerns into a diminutive wrapper, and lob it into conversations at the very last moment?
Well, for one, people don’t like unpleasantness, and we know that our news may trigger it. By slipping it into the absolute end of the conversation, we try to minimise its impact on the listener. That’s why many people don’t tell their spouse about their parents’ visit till the last minute.
There’s also the fear of appearing too needy. By using JOMT, we try to soften the blow and make our request sound less demanding. That’s what drove the candidate to keep quiet about the notice period till the end of the interview.
And, of course, there’s anxiety. We’re too scared to bring up a crucial point early in the conversation, due to fear of repercussions. That’s what happens at the doctor’s clinic.
For the listeners out there—especially doctors—a word of advice: When you hear those fateful four words, sit down and lean in, for the real conversation is about to begin.
For JOMT users, instead of the casual aside, perhaps you could say: “Before we conclude, I need to make a crucial point regarding...” or “I have an important question remaining about...” The new line might lack dramatic flair, but it will ensure that your vital concern doesn’t get lost in the comedic timing of an understatement. Because more often than not, “just one more thing” isn’t just one more thing; it’s the only thing.