Too Much Work

[legion]

You all know the type...heck, some of you are the type...

People who take on way too much work--way more than they can handle. I've got two on my project right now and my ability to complete work in a timely fashion is suffering because these two are so busy that it takes them days/weeks/months to get back to me with simple, five-minute questions.

Why is it that some people cannot say no to more work? If my boss asks me to take on something else, my immediate question is where does it fall in priority with my other work? After I get that, I tell him what is likely to be postponed as a result of the new prioritization. If that is acceptable, I take on the work. If it is not acceptable, I ask him to find someone else.

[BReif61]

Too much work? What is that? I think having "too much work" is grounds for firing in government jobs.

[looneybin]

I always take on too many projects, i should buy stock in the company that makes Pepcid Complete.

[einreb]

not enough work....

legion legion is online now

Posts: 11,857

[fastfredracing]

I have found it hard in the past to say no to my customers, however I am learning. I used to take everything that came in the door, and then work 12 hour days 7 days a week trying to keep above water. I now try real hard to only schedule a 40 hour work load, and work at a much nicer pace. I find that the quality of my work is far better, jobs are done closer to scheduled time, and I am a much happier well adjusted person. When I get those "pushy customers, I just tell them the reality of when I think I can get it done,and let them make the call.

[Laneco]

Actually, I've been very guilty of this... I solved it by quitting my job!

I was working for a government contractor in transportation (trucks, buses etc). We had numerous contracts and I worked on all of them plus did all the training and assisted in the bid process. I was getting worked to death. I traveled four weeks per month (do the math...) for five straight months plus work on the weekends. I was sick, frustrated and exhausted. With the economy as it is, I was definately not going to take a "leave" of any sort without something else lined up.

I asked to have two weeks per month at home (working) and two weeks out. I was denied.

So I took my little skill set and went somewhere else where I am treated like a human being and not a bottomless resource.

angela

[cstreit]

You know it's funny, a few years ago I took the approach of telling people "Well I don't have time to get that done when you need it, or to do a quality job." My intent was to be honest with them so they could look elsewhere and get the service they deserved. You know what I got for it? Dinged on a review for "Pushing back too much."

I called an ex-boss who I respect and asked him about this. He said, "Yes, you do that. Next time say yes." "Even if I can't get it done." "Yep". So now that's what I do. I almost always say yes. ...and you know what? I'm now the goto guy... The one that will take on any challenge, etc...

[varmint]

i work in a really flakey industry. i try to schedule a month ahead, and routinely accept three jobs in the full knowledge that two will never happen.

last month, all three happened. was really crushed for a while.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by legion

If that is acceptable, I take on the work. If it is not acceptable, I ask him to find someone else.

You have an opportunity to say no? Sweet deal!

At my work, it is nothing to be completely blindsided by a project that can take days on end of my time. My favorite is when I get urgent emails about a "last minute" campaign, only to follow the email trail and see that it had been planned 4-6 weeks ago. We just find a way to make it work, but always make a point of explaining what the consequences are, ie which other projects are falling aside in the meantime.

Downside is that by being too accomodating, it's easy to set unrealistic expecations. People will just assume you'll find a way to ram a project through, and will get themselves painted into a corner where the only way to make things work is by calling folks in from vacations, etc. I'm not as accomodating then.

[oldE]

I learned (sort of ) this lesson about 25 years ago. I had a boss who worked in the city, I was in a sattelite office where I could work with the branch operations. My boss was a great one for calling up with , "Say, Les, could you do such and such for me. I need it for next week" and so on. Inevitably, I fell behind and one day I got a call blasting me for not getting work done.

After he had hung up, I was left reeling for a moment then, started thinking about everything he had been 'piling on'. Within a few minutes, I had him back on the phone and asked him how I was expected to do everything he was asking of me. To my surprise, he laughed and said, "Let that be a lesson to you. If I ask you to do something you can't do or need help with, tell me!"

Best thing I learned from him.

Les

[Zef]

Originally Posted by BReif61

Too much work? What is that? I think having "too much work" is grounds for firing in government jobs.

Hey...Hey...I'm a Fed inspector man....so be kind...