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Question of the Day:

How much is too much? I take on more work each year and somehow I find a way to make it work but typically this involves me working into the late hours at home. Everyone at my work says they believe in balance but the reality of my job is I’ve taken on too much. How do I pull back without making it seem like I’m less committed?

Your question is one that many people are asking today.  Many are concerned. But few are actually voicing the question to management because, as you stated, they don’t want be seen as uncommitted or find themselves unemployed. Overwork has become a success factor in today’s work place.

Before discussing the situation with those you work for there a few things you can do yourself to lighten your work load:

• Review what you do and determine if it is necessary to keep doing it, and if so is there a more efficient way to do it if you are going to continue the process. Look at the overall work you do and determine if you are delegating enough to other people that might be more efficient and have more time to get the work done
• Go through your inbox realistically and work on those things that have the most importance first and add things of less importance to a list to be done on an as needed basis
• Quit at a reasonable hour and stop extending the time you spend at work for a month to determine whether you might need an assistant or an intern to actually get the job done.

Keeping track of the insight you gain as you evaluate your work practices will be helpful if you determine that management needs to be involved to bring about the changes you find are  necessary.  The gathering of the data will also demonstrate factually what needs to be done to bring balance to the position and show your commitment to doing the best job possible.