Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Justin Sipher, Program Leader, Leadership Coach, and Consultant at MOR Associates. Justin may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
Many of us say we’re “taking on more” – whether at work or in our personal lives. While this sometimes reflects our initiative, it more commonly results from being asked by someone in a position of authority. These requests can arise during peak workload periods and, especially in higher education today, are often because institutional expectations are not matched with resources historically associated at that level of service. Perhaps taking on more should be directly aligned with letting go (in one way or another) of something current?
I want to take us back and acknowledge that this was the situation in the spring of 2020 when so much time-sensitive work was needed when institutions (and beyond) pivoted from in-person to remote due to COVID-19. IT, and others, needed to do herculean things to pivot on a dime. We needed to take on more to enable remote learning, teaching, and administrative work. So, it’s not an uncommon phrase to use or experience. I know I’ve been there on occasion and acknowledge that at some points it was excitement because of a new opportunity I welcomed. However, other times it was with some anxiety because I felt like I was already at capacity. Overall, “taking on more” has often become overwork and an unrecognized burden.
While we must acknowledge the challenges, I invite you to consider a different perspective—a mindset shift for sustainable success and a mental model that enables us to approach “taking on more” with intentionality and opportunity in mind. What if we reframe our thinking to a new way to make a more significant impact? What we understand about motivation is that it varies person to person. For many in higher education, it’s mission-driven work. Taking on more can be motivating. It can be the beginning of unlocking opportunities for you that were previously not possible.
Reflecting on my career, there are numerous cases of being asked to do more when I was already very busy: leading an institution-wide committee to make a strategic recommendation, stepping in to cover for a peer on extended leave, and serving on a system-wide task force to assess the viability of a new platform/architecture. All came when I was super busy with what was already on my plate. Yet I found a way to do these. In each case they created learning opportunities that helped me grow in my career. That growth would not have been possible if I had said no, or if I had done it with resentment and didn’t lean into the opportunity presented.
Strategies for Navigating ‘More’
Understand the relative importance of the new work.
This is important as you need to know how this new work compares to your current work and responsibilities. How can you assess and properly prioritize your time if you don’t know this? Questions as simple as asking how important this new work is or what the necessary time can set the stage to properly align this work in your routine.
Clarify whether the task is short-term or ongoing.
This is critically important as sometimes we are asked to do something that has a relatively short timeline that is not altering the long-term nature of your work. Sometimes it may be truly adding an ongoing responsibility. In cases like this, the next strategy is critical.
Negotiate what to postpone or offload.
It’s not unreasonable to have this conversation with management if you are being asked to do new work. If the new work is short-lived, then the question might be whether current work can be postponed. If the work is ongoing, the question relates to what current work can find a new home, or not be done at all.
Let go of tasks that no longer fit your role.
This may feel similar to the previous point, but it’s fundamentally different. There is work many of us do, NOT because it’s what is correctly associated with our position but because we like doing it. It might be something we did when in a previous role and held on to it through career transitions. I suggest we think about our work time as a fixed asset and not something that can routinely be expanded into evenings and weekends. Then, by necessity, we need to realize that in choosing to spend our time doing X, we are choosing not to do Y. It could be that Y is more strategic for our role to accomplish. So, be willing to let go (through delegation or other means) of some of those old tasks.
Embracing new responsibilities can be a powerful catalyst for growth and energy in your career. When approached with clear communication, focused intention, established boundaries, and the willingness to delegate tasks that are no longer appropriate, “more” transforms into a game-changing opportunity rather than a burden.
As you consider ways to do ‘more,’ which could you benefit from focusing on more?
Last week, we asked which tool in the MOR Leadership Framework you use most to “show your math” to others.
- 38% said communicating why
- 28% said leveraging the three lenses
- 20% said describing the view from the balcony
- 14% said sharing thinking related to your presence
As we think about taking on more, it can be helpful to us and to others to show our math. It can help us clarify the nature and importance of the new work, how it relates to other work, and can also help us identify work that no longer fits our role. Of special note, one of the strongest motivators is understanding the “why” behind something. The more intentional we can be in communicating that, the more likely others will be motivated toward it.