How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally at Work

For adults using English as a second language, learning how to tell someone hurry up professionally is not about finding a polite synonym — it’s about understanding tone, structure, and workplace expectations.

Telling someone to hurry up at work is one of the most delicate communication skills in professional English.

Deadlines matter. Timelines slip. Meetings wait.

But the way you express urgency can either move work forward or create tension.

This guide reflects how professionals actually communicate urgency in international teams, not how textbooks describe it.

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Why Direct Urgency Often Causes Problems

In many cultures, direct language is efficient and normal.

In English-speaking professional environments, however, telling someone to hurry can sound:

• impatient

• demanding

• emotionally charged

From working with global professionals, one pattern appears again and again:

The issue is rarely urgency — it’s how the urgency is framed.

Learning how to tell someone hurry up professionally means shifting the focus from emotion to impact, priorities, and timelines.

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What Professionals Listen for When You Express Urgency

When someone hears a request to move faster, they usually listen for three things:

1. Why this matters

2. What exactly is needed

3. When it’s needed by

If those points are clear, urgency feels reasonable — not personal.

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The Professional Structure for Asking Someone to Move Faster

Strong workplace requests often follow this structure:

1. Context — Why the task matters

2. Request — What you need

3. Timeline — When you need it

This structure helps you tell someone hurry up professionally without sounding aggressive or dismissive.

Professional Phrases to Tell Someone Hurry Up at Work

When You Need a Status Update

Instead of:
❌ Can you hurry up?

Try:

• “Could you share an update on the timeline?”

• “How close are we to finalizing this?”

• “Just checking in on the progress here.”

These phrases communicate urgency without pressure.

When a Deadline Is Approaching

Clear deadlines make urgency sound professional, not emotional.

Use:

• “We’ll need this by end of day to stay on schedule.”

• “This is time-sensitive — could you prioritize this today?”

• “To meet the deadline, we’ll need this soon.”

These phrases explain why speed matters.

How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally in Emails

Written requests require extra care because tone can be misread.

Professional email example:

Just following up on this, as we’ll need the final version by 3 PM to stay aligned with the project timeline.
Please let me know if that timing works for you.

This approach:

• Shows urgency

• Respects the other person’s time

• Leaves space for a response

How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally in Meetings

Meetings move quickly, so short, neutral phrases work best.

Try:

• “Can we prioritize this item today?”

• “What’s the expected timeline for this?”

• “Do we need to move this forward to meet the deadline?”

These sound collaborative, not demanding.

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Expressing Urgency to Senior Colleagues or Clients

When speaking upward or externally, soften the tone.

Use:

• “Would it be possible to move this forward?”

• “This would help us stay on schedule.”

• “We’re working toward a tight timeline on this.”

This shows urgency without pressure.

Cultural Differences in Expressing Urgency

In some cultures, urgency is shown through direct commands.
In many English-speaking professional environments, urgency is shown through:

• timelines

• priorities

• project impact

Understanding this difference helps adult learners tell someone hurry up professionally in international teams.

How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally: What Not to Do!

These phrases often create tension:
❌ This is taking too long.
❌ You need to be faster.
❌ Why isn’t this done yet?

They focus on the person, not the task.

Professional English focuses on process and priorities, not blame.

How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally: How to Practice

You can train this without a partner.

Try:

• Writing three versions of the same urgent email (soft, neutral, firm)

• Recording yourself asking for an update using different tones

• Practicing deadline-based phrases out loud

• Replacing “hurry up” with timeline-based language

This builds flexibility and confidence.

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Real-World Example

Instead of:

I need this now. Please hurry.

Try:

We’re close to the deadline, and this will help us finalize the report. Could you send it in the next hour?

Same urgency.
Very different tone.

Final: How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally

Professional urgency is not about speed.
It’s about clarity, priorities, and respect.

When you learn how to tell someone hurry up professionally, you:

• protect working relationships

• maintain authority

• move projects forward without conflict

That’s a skill every professional — in any language — needs.

Learn Laugh Speak — How to Tell Someone Hurry Up Professionally

At Learn Laugh Speak, we help adults build confidence in real professional communication — from meetings and emails to handling deadlines and difficult conversations.

With 33,000+ CEFR-aligned lessons, learners practice what actually happens at work, not textbook examples.