John is a young guy who has been on the job with a leading advertising agency for a little over a year. He likes the company, the people he works with, and the opportunities he has been given. He can’t see himself leaving the job because of many growth opportunities. Because of this, he has been happy to not only do his work, but when other departments get busy, John has offered to help. But recently John has missed a couple of deadlines because he has become overwhelmed with work. It was clear that people noticed. His project list is still extensive, but other managers still seek his help. John doesn’t want to turn them down because he is convinced that being seen as Superman will help him get promoted. John feels trapped.
Many workers find themselves in the same predicament.
Rule 1 is to stay focused on the job you were hired to do. You must do exemplary work on the tasks that are part of your job. If you fail at your work, you will ruin your chances for a promotion. No matter how much extra work you undertake.
When offered other tasks, you first need to ask if you have the option to say no. Have an honest conversation with your supervisor to discuss priorities. Your boss needs to be honest and should help you calibrate your priorities.
If you are asked to take on an optional new initiative, but the person offering it to you is vague about expectations, deadlines, available resources, or any other details, ask for more information. Always ask for more time to think about the offer.
Gravitate to new projects that will help you grow your skill set and network with others that might help your career development.
Observe how people in your company get promoted. Are multi-departmental projects the way people advance? If your boss is less than forthcoming, talk to others who have been around longer than you have.
If you have done your homework and determined that the new optional project will not fit your workload, be honest with your response. It is ok to say that while the project is interesting, you don’t have the bandwidth to do it.
There’s another time that you might want to beg off a new project. That is, if you don’t have the skills to do a good job ..this can be difficult. Somebody may have more confidence in you than you have in yourself.
On the other hand, someone may be handing you the project because they would rather have you try than let themselves fail.
As TÉA ANGELOS wrote in Fast Company
Ask yourself if you have the necessary skills and experience to complete it. If someone else on your team is better qualified for the task, consider delegating it to them or working together to complete it successfully. Be honest about your limitations, and be willing to learn and develop new skills if needed.
So you have to think through all of your options and choices. As Angelo’s notes, “Often there is a huge amount of guilt attached, questioning whether you are a team player or not wanting to let your manager down.”
Dave Edwards Media 