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She was right. I did have a problem. I had not managed my
workload very well. I was either going to have to spend more on
help, cut back on projects, or hire someone else. But she was
right: it was my problem, not hers. I had to take responsibility
for it and fix it. Laurie was telling me what that everpresent sign
says: “Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emer-
gency on my part.”
Many bosses aren’t so lucky. Their employees take respon-
sibility for their lack of planning and never set limits on them.
They are never forced to look at their lack of boundaries until
it’s too late, until they have lost a good employee to exhaustion
or burnout. Such bosses need clear limits, but many employees
are afraid to set them, as Laurie did, because they need the job
or they fear disapproval.
If you are in a situation in which you’re doing lots of extra
work because you “need the job” and because you are afraid of
being let go, you have a problem. If you are working more over-
time than you want to, you are in bondage to your job. You are
a slave, not an employee under contract. Clear and responsible
contracts tell all parties involved what is expected of them, and
they can be enforced. Jobs should have clear descriptions of
duties and qualifications.
As hard as it sounds, you need to take responsibility for your-
self and take steps to change your situation. Here are some sug-
gested steps you may wish to take:
- Set boundaries on your work. Decide how much overtime
you are willing to do. Some overtime during seasonal crunches
may be expected of you. - Review your job description, if one exists.
- Make a list of the tasks you need to complete in the next
month. Make a copy of the list and assign your own priority to
each item. Indicate on this copy any tasks that are not part of
your job description. - Make an appointment to see your boss to discuss your job
overload. Together you should review the list of tasks you need to
complete in the next month. Have your boss prioritize the tasks.
If your boss wants all the tasks done, and you cannot complete
Boundaries