Companies Will Always Accept More

We, as individuals, are responsible for the amount of effort, energy, and time that we give to our jobs. Consider a boundary rider; their job is to check the fences around the property. If there is a broken fence or one in need of repair, it is the boundary rider's responsibility to fix it so that the cattle do not get out into the neighbouring properties or onto the road. It is our responsibility to set the boundaries we are willing to hold, companies are there to make a profit, if that means having one dedicated employee doing the work of two, then, they will generally take everything that the employee offers.  We do not have to work all the hours that God sends to be a valuable worker.  

When we approach our work like boundary rider and make sure that we're setting the boundaries that we can adhere to, we are looking after ourselves and our mental health.   All too often, high performers don’t realise that their boundaries have been breached and are in breakdown or burnout as a result, particularly in the situation where emails are on our phone. It is essential that we set the boundaries and do not break them.  If we start sending emails responding out of hours, it will start to become expected by colleagues and supervisors. Therefore, it is important when we start a new job to truly set these boundaries, even if you schedule an email to be sent at a different time that is acceptable but do not allow them to expect you to be working at that time.

I was recruiting  at a mine during the mining boom and I was getting extremely stressed because I could not find any operators. I truly believed that the production of the mine rested on my shoulders. The superintendent at the time, who interestingly was the one who was putting a lot of pressure on me, pulled me aside and said to me, “The mine won't stop, Jade,” and it was a monumental and reassuring point in my career where I realised I am not responsible for everything and all of my efforts will not single-handedly change a situation that is fundamentally out of my control. 

It is important to note high performers, in particular, have difficulty saying no because they want to do a good job, feel valued, and needed in the workplace.  When they have too much on to be able to do a good job, it affects their feeling of self worth, confidence, and drags them down.  The spiral continues if they are asked to hand over some work to other people as they are scared as things are not in a good place and believe that it will be quicker for them to do it themselves.   This mindset means that they are less likely to take holidays or leave and the spiral continues 

Remember that our employers are not only paying for the hours that we contribute but the level of experience and knowledge that we bring.  Like the plumber who can diagnose a problem and fix it in 20 minutes and charges $400, we are paying for his expertise.  It has taken him 20 years of experience to develop the knowledge to fix it in 20 minutes.  You are paying for the knowledge, not the time. When we can achieve an outcome quicker than our colleagues, it does not mean we should line up for more work but celebrate that we have finished it quicker, which allows us time to have a cup of tea before the next task to clear our mind and focus.