Heres How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work

Heres How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much WorkYoure totally swamped, but you feel like you cant tell your boss or shell think youre a wimpor youll be written off for promotion because you just cant cut the mustard. But if youre notlage just being lazy (youre actually overwhelmed because theres genuinely too much on your plate), then you might just need to find the right way to broach the subject. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Continuing to thrash around with your head just below the surface of the water is not going to win you any medals. You might actually do damage to your career. Remember that being overcommitted and dealing with exhaustion can lead to sloppy mistakes or cut cornersor even failing to get something done on time. Far better to give your boss a heads up so you can continue turning in the top notch work youd rather put your name to.Here are some guidelines to follow.1. Make it about quality.The way to frame this is that you dont want to sacrifice quality in buchung to keep up a ridiculous level of output. Dont make any accusations, just present the situation frankly. Say that youre concerned the high standards you hold yourself to might suffer given your responsibilities overload. Emphasize that youre totally up for turning out four high-quality projects at a time, but that six is a bit too much.2. Be concrete.Dont just say you have too much work. Give concrete examples. Explain how youve been assigned several projects on top of your regular workload. And how any one of them would be fine, but cumulatively, youre having trouble keeping balls in the air. Give an estimate of how much time it would take for you to complete each and then the aggregate time. Then explain how it would be impossible to meet all of the deadlines. Tell your boss all the times youve stayed late or worked extra hours to finish, without complaint.3. Discuss deadlines and delegation.It might be an easy fix, like staggering deadlines, or outsourcing some projects or tasks to other team members to get the thing done (and well) in a timely fashionespecially if there are any general administrative aspects that dont require your skillset that could be passed along to support staff to free you up to concentrate on the meat of the project. Set clear priorities showing you value the most important projects and understand the importance of getting them done to standard.4. Stay positive.Soften the blow by focusing on the positive. Frame the conversation by saying yes to what you can do, and do well, and not no to all you cant, i.e., you can do project X, but extra added-on projects and tasks might require you to sacrifice that very important project, which you are not prepared to sacrifice. Keep it positive and use an upbeat, devoted-to-the-company tone, rather than one of despondence or frustration. And show, above all, your willingness to pitch in.5. Ask for help.Never underestimate the power of a third fest ivitt to help ground you when youre feeling overwhelmed. Get an outsiders perspective on your workload. Theyll either tell you to suck it up and get it done, or theyll validate your feeling that youre really being asked to juggle far too much.

This Directors Advice For Incorporating Self-Care Into Your Schedule Will Make You a Better Leader

This Directors Advice For Incorporating Self-Care Into Yur Schedule Will Make You a Better Leader We all know that getting a good nights rest, staying physically active and building genuine relationships with others can improve our quality of life. Whether we actually prioritize these routines, though, is another story.For Eva, a principal director at Accenture, forming healthy habits like these outside the workplace makes her a better gruppe member within it. It also makes her a better leader. The better physical and mental state Im in, the better I can respond to the demands in my work and personal life, she says.She recently shared with us how she makes it all work and if your day starts with a cup of coffee like hers, then youre already on the right track.Tell us about your job. How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously?Im a principal director and I returned to Accenture one and a half years ago after working in the professional services are a for similar firms. My job is to deliver large scale business transformation/IT projects and involves weekly travel to the customer site.Whats the first thing you do at work every day? What about the last?I start my day by pouring myself a cup of coffee and saying good morning to my team. I then do a quick evaluation and prioritization of the tasks at hand and action as required for the remainder of the day. Prior to the end of the workday, I ensure that requests for action from other parties are sent so that Im ready to go the next day.Whats your favorite aspect of Accentures culture and/or your favorite company perk?My favorite aspect of Accentures Core Value is our access and commitment to the One Global Network Leveraging the power of global insight, relationships, collaboration and learning to deliver exceptional service to clients wherever they do business. The access to intellectual and technical resources truly spans across the globe. Regardless of where my colleagues are i n the world (and whether or not I know them personally), when I reach out with questions, I will always receive a helpful response.Whats something youre especially good at work?Most of the time, to deliver my scope of work successfully, I need to assemble and manage a team. Rarely is the outcome of an initiative based solely on the contribution of a single individual. What makes me good at my job is the ability to identify the unique strengths and capabilities of an individual, and guide them to accomplish the task at hand. With an eye for the right talent and a solid understanding of what skills are required for the task at hand, I build diversified and high performing teams that consistently deliver.What about outside of work?I make a very conscientious effort to focus on self-care outside of work. This can range from physical activities (e.g. long hikes, spinning) to mindful activities (e.g. meditation). The better physical and mental state Im in, the better I can respond to the demands in my work and personal life. Whats the fruchtwein memorable piece of career advice youve received?Be self-reflective. I apply this not only to work but also to my personal life. Reflect on things that did not go well (make sure you dont repeat the same mistakes), and also reflect on things that went well (identify the behaviors/actions that made you successful and continue to grow on them).For women who are considering careers in consulting or for those who are looking to shift to a new consulting role what is your no. 1 piece of advice?Embrace changes and get ready to keep learning Ive been in consulting for over 15 years now and I can honestly say that the pace of change is fast with emerging technologies and new business demands. On the positive side, things are never boring--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Accenture.Find a job there today