6 tips to avoid being overworked

Being a productive person inside of an important value chain can place a large burden on business managers and workers alike. There are undoubtedly times of which more responsibilities will be asked of you, but there’s a limit to what can be accomplished in one day. We all live in a time scarce world. So how do you avoid taking on responsibilities that push you and your productivity over the limits?

First it’s important to realize what you SHOULDN’T do when asked to take on more responsibilities:

• Don’t tell them you just don’t want to do it, at least not just this
• Don’t take it personal! If anything, take it as a compliment.
• Don’t be upset or act rude when asked to carry a larger workload
• Don’t be vague about what you want and why

1. Don’t just say yes!

It’s very important to realize that no matter what you do, you don’t just accept responsibilities that you’re not sure you can keep/maintain. Sometimes we’re tempted to impress others and so we blindly say yes to as much responsibility as possible,…and in some cases this could work out well, but usually this leads us into bigger problems. If it’s out of your expertise or you simply don’t have enough hours in the day, then it’s important to NOT accept the assignment/responsibility. The following tips help you after you’ve gotten over the hurdle that tip #1 helps you clear.

Footnote: It’s important to realize that this advice is for those who accept everything thrown their way and they often realize, after accepting an assignment, that it’s just too much of a workload and regret it. Tip #1 is NOT for people who waste time at work or who never accept assignments in the first place. If you’re that type of person you’re most likely not reading this blog anyway.

2. Give an actual, serious, valid reason why you can’t

If you truly are busy at your job, then you shouldn’t have a problem with tip #2. All you have to do is inform them of the responsibilities you already have on your plate, and show them the estimated hours it already takes for you to do your current job duties. Most bosses realize their employees are human beings and will work with you. If not, then it’s time to send them a market signal and find a new place to work. No need working with someone who is that bad of a manager.

3. Have other assignments pushed back

The nice thing about the real world is that comparative (not just competitive) advantage exists. We have priorities in life, and not just immediate, but various time preferences as well (retirement in 30 years vs tasting ice cream tonight), although I do admit most people think more in the short-term. Point is, you are bound to find something that has a lower priority than the new task being asked of you. It might be possible, and witty, and intuitive of you to provide a new viewpoint that the individuals in the decision might have missed. Maybe your co-workers, subordinates, or peers hadn’t thought about pushing back an assignment of lower value, which would allow for the higher value assignment that is needed now. Even waterfall project management has change control measures even though it’s the opposite of an agile framework.

4. Offer alternatives

One of the worst things is obviously to just outright dismiss the assignment altogether. If you can’t do it, maybe there’s something else that you can think of that could be even more beneficial, or at least mitigates any losses. You don’t have to act like it’s the holy grail either, just offer it as 1 brainstormed alternative and/or solution and see where it goes. There could actually be a better way of doing something out there. If you identify it and bring it to fruition, it could reap positive rewards. It’s crucial to seek out win-win relationships in this arena where you don’t come out as the only winner.

5. Promote/hire someone worthy

Something that is often forgotten is that there are other people in your organization who might be ripe for this opportunity, who have fought nail and tooth to get this opportunity, and who might be overlooked for opportunities constantly. The best managers realize that it’s important to always give hope of growth and promotions and opportunities for people to become more valuable within the organization. Also, when you help promote others who are worthy, it can look good on you as a decision maker and lead to more growth opportunities for you as well. You don’t have to be a boss to do these things (although that really helps). Simply recommending someone might be all it takes. Once again, it comes back to building business value by seeking win-win outcomes.

6. Make it known what you really want, but use tact

At the end of the day, if you’ve gone through all the tips above and still can’t get a resolution that you view as favorable towards you, then be clear on what you want and why. Maybe management will think on it overnight and change their minds or find a better compromise. Whatever you do, be clear and as concise as possible as to what you want and need. Don’t leave room for confusion. At the same time, and just as importantly if not even more important, always seek out those win-win deals. It will lead to a viewpoint that is fair to all, that keeps empathy for those who are involved, that seeks a positive and well intended resolution, and that makes you even more valuable to the organizational team overall.