I’m including this as food for thought. At first, I thought maybe Jessica Wildfire was on to something that made sense. And it does, but only to a certain point. That point for me was when Wildfire wrote, “Sure, he might cause a major disaster. But that disaster isn’t your problem.”
Constantly bailing out others might help your boss, or your company. But it doesn’t help you.
Remember the adage there’s no “I” in team? A me-centered workforce struggles to be cohesive. Maybe Wildfire was amping some statements to try and make some points, but collaboration and strengths realignments are routinely needed routinely. The struggle is to open the dialogue without being a tattletale. The other struggle is to set realistic timelines and objectives.
Source: Medium, November 9, 2014. Link.
Some of us tend to overextend ourselves. Other people’s projects shouldn’t become our projects, just because we want to be helpful.
There’s rarely a good reason to simply save someone else’s ass. You might think you’re saving the day, but you could be helping cover up bigger problems.
Also see: If a new hire is struggling, give them a clear plan to improve, Harvard Business Review, November 14, 2018. Link.
INSIGHTS: Managing “nos” is a challenge for many animal health pros. As I wrote this, I got a call from a friend who needed a favor at a certain time. My answer was influenced by this article. I explained I was not available at that time, but I could carve out some time an hour earlier. “NO, but . . .” worked well in this situation.