It can be very tempting to take on more than you have the time or energy for, especially at work. Everyone wants to do a good job, impress their colleagues, accomplish tasks, and make advancements. However, balancing these desires – whether they be ambition-based or people-pleasing in nature – with being realistic about your capacity is important to your success on the job. In this issue of the Pulse, we explore this balance.

Not being honest about your work capacity ends up being counterproductive.

Saying “yes” all the time may not make you the high-performer that you set out to be. There’s a good chance it will lead to such consequences as burnout, missed deadlines, resentment, and frustration. Ensuring you are only working within your capacity means that things will get done on time, you won’t feel perpetually stressed, and your workplace relationships will operate more smoothly.

If you’re looking to do good work, avoiding burnout is critical. Burnout is a is a special type of work-related stress, characterized by:

• Reduced sense of accomplishment.
• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
• Increased mental distance from one’s job.
• Feelings of negativity and cynicism towards one’s job.
• Loss of personal identity.
• Reduced personal efficacy.

Consistently risking burnout by agreeing to more than you can realistically handle is a threat to your career and your physical and mental well-being.

Avoiding burnout isn’t the only benefit of being honest about your capacity.

This isn’t just preventative. There are other benefits to being honest about your workplace capacity. On top of maintaining the high quality of your work, it can also:

• Build trust and transparency between you and your colleagues.
• Promote more effective resource allocation across projects.
• Contribute to a healthier workplace environment.

It is in your best interest, and the best interest of your whole team, to be upfront about what you can and cannot take on.

You don’t have to just say no.

Saying “yes” feels easier and more polite. Many of us have a sense of reluctance when it comes to saying no; fearing it will make us seem unhelpful, rude, or bad to work with. This doesn’t have to be the case. There are ways to state your boundaries without coming across as negative.

Again, it all comes down to that honesty piece. Explaining what you have on your plate, and that it isn’t a good time for you, but that you’d love to help when you can, is a constructive way of reiterating your capacity.

In conclusion…

Despite the pressure and desire to be a person who always says yes, it’s not the only way to be helpful. Honesty and transparency goes a long way in preventing burnout and increasing efficacy across your whole team.