Balancing Commitments and Delivery

Assertive employees often raise their hand for new assignments, additional workload, and the opportunity to show their worth. They seek new challenges and expect to deliver; they picture themselves holding up the end result like a trophy and everyone congratulating them for a job well done. This sometimes happens and they become fast-trackers, moving onward and upward faster than anyone could imagine.

What about the others?

Others are sometimes assertive on the front side, they crave opportunities, they willingly offer to take on new tasks and assignments, but the bad news is, they seldom deliver. Perhaps it is over commitment, or a very limited span of attention. Perhaps it is their need for the feeling of belonging, of being visible, or being valued by the group. Sadly their promises often fall short of expectations and the people, teams, and even the entire organization feel let down and dissatisfied.

If this is you, an overcommitted and stressed out employee armed with good intentions but lacking the time and resources to deliver, there is good news. Control your urge to over commit by realizing that it isn’t what you volunteer for that counts, it is what you deliver. Find the balance between commitments and your ability to deliver.

The fast-tracker already figured this out!

 

- DEG

Balancing Deadlines

Deadlines help us create a sense of purpose and manage priorities, and most workplace professionals recognize the benefits of managing projects and people through deadlines. Can the use of deadlines cause other somewhat unexpected results? The answer of course is – yes.

Extensive use of deadlines may lead to an abuse of power and create a form of micromanagement. Drawbacks to micromanagement include noticeable reductions in employee morale, increased absenteeism, and a general weakness in building or maintaining high performance teams. 

Abusive use of deadlines sometimes create panic about pending projects and a noticeable absence of workplace innovation. While many may argue that some employees perform better under pressure, too much pressure can create an environment that invites burn-out which results in employees disconnecting from the true spirit of the organization in hopes of finding some relief for the uncomfortable and unbalanced circumstances. Nearly everyone will quickly agree that the proper use of deadlines is important for success but at the same time effective workplace leaders know that they must utilize deadlines properly and maintain an appropriate balance.

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