February 26, 2008Ask Meryl ~ One job at a time, please

Meryl,

 When one of my associates quit, I covered her responsibilities while they tried to hire someone new. They hired someone incompetent and I’m still doing both jobs.

 I said, “I’m only one person here. I can’t do everything.”

 What should I have said - and can I say now?

Meryl Responds:

Frame your comments in terms of mutual interests.

 Say:

• I was happy to pitch in and do whatever it takes to keep things going while the position was empty, but the level of overtime I’ve been putting in isn’t sustainable. I’m exhausted, and the quality of my work will slip if I continue to work two jobs. I understand the work needs to be done, so let’s sit down and figure out how that can happen in a way that doesn’t compromise the work and is sustainable.

Basically it’s about you setting boundaries. It’s a risk to set boundaries, but the more you risk, the more you stand to gain. I suspect they won’t risk losing you if you set sustainable boundaries. Just make it clear that you’re working toward everyone’s interests when you set them.

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