:::Saying no to responsibilities at work……for real or just theory

After having a long tiring day yesterday, I got back home, got into my Kitchen to make some food for my family and as my usual routine, I put on my little Kitchen radio with the intention of getting a station where I could listen to music. But when it came on, I realized I couldn’t switch to another radio station because what was being discussed there pulled my attention

……. Lassen Sie sich nicht mehr ausbeuten; sagen sie nien. 

(Do not let anyone exploit you, say no!)

 Somehow I did not agree with them because I knew, that even if the speakers themselves were asked to work extra hours because of an emergency, they´ll not be very happy about it but will never say no, for fear of losing their jobs. Unfortunately, the conversation was almost ending by the time I switched on my radio, but somehow I wanted to know more about this topic and since I knew it will be a perfect topic for my chats on Tuesdays on this blog, I decided to research more on it.

It is true that taking new tasks and responsibilities at work demonstrate that you have potential to grow .But what if these become detrimental to you, do you say no? And if so, how?

When I tried to research, I noticed that this is a topic where lots and lots of people wonder on how to go about but haven’t really had a solution.

“Many junior bosses will throw last minute assignments on your desk that are destined to fail, or will give you projects that look too difficult, or that are not part of your job description, or will give you work just because they have already tried and have seen that it’s going to turn out badly”, said lots of people on the net. But how then do you say no in such cases?

Succeeding in such tasks will definitely demonstrate your readiness to step into a role, but what if you don´t?

"Despite all the benefits of volunteering for stretch assignments, there are times when the extra workload can actually work against you!"

Stated a career planning website;

" they´ll only make you stay awake all night, reduce your productivity of the next day and put you under time stress. They´ll make you lose full attention to the responsibilities you already have on your plate!

 Say no to assignments that don´t build the reputation you want to be known for, or assignments that don’t meaningfully expand your network, or those that stretch you too thin."

Well after reading further I came across a few suggestions which really did not make much sense to me but were the best the net could offer;

• Meet with your boss and say something like this:  “My plate is more than full at this point, and it’s a real challenge to juggle everything I’m now responsible for. I can help out on a short-term basis, but this has been the case for months and looks like it will continue and maybe even get worse. It’s a significant amount of stress and responsibility. I’m willing to continue helping out, but I want to revisit my title and my compensation. It’s not feasible for me to continue on with this increased workload at my current level of pay — which is the same pay level I’ve been at for ..... years, even though I’ve been told I’d receive raises in the past, and then never have. What can we do to get my pay and title up to something that reflects the work I’m doing?”( In my opinion , say this and you´re fired )

• I am already working on several important assignments that leave me no time for this one

•  Can I delegate some of my other work to make room for this assignment?

•  Am I the only person who can successfully complete this assignment?

• Can I put some of my other assignments on the back burner while I work on this one? (Best so far).

But in a nutshell I’ll just say while looking for a job, pray to God that you get a reasonable and understanding boss. And if it happens that you have to work overtime with little or no salary increment, or you have to take up responsibilities that are not stipulated in your contract, just do them (for the company and for God). There are lots of people out there who are waiting anxiously to take over your position and do even much more that you are asked to do. Jobs are difficult to come across nowadays .Handle yours with care and if it gets to the worse, get another job before letting go of what you have in hand...........Realities of Life!!!!:::

                                                                             Joyce Ashime