@jerry-d

Earlier in my career, I’d identify myself with aspiring phrases like “always in pursuit of excellence” and “producer of perfect work”. I know I know…but it was easy to back these claims up. With my insane work ethic, no one in my area could keep pace because I was working 60-80 hour workweeks. And for many years, it was good. They rewarded me accordingly, paid me bonuses, and added performance percentages to my salary increases. However, as high performers know, the more you do, the more work you get. This had an aggregating effect that makes maintaining the same level of performance more and more impossible. I finally had an epiphany that saying “no” and letting others and other departments do the work was actually better overall for the company. I’ve seen exceptional people retire and the hole they leave is so gargantuan that senior management had to replace the person with 2-3 people just to maintain the same level of work. So, say “no” to protect your sanity. It will do more good than you know and not just for you.

1 reply

0 recast

15 reactions