Are you looking for a way to stop doing some of the tasks you are responsible for?
For high achievers like you who are hungry and always searching for new ways to add value to your team, this may be hard to admit.
I get it because I’ve been in this situation. And, I know many others just like you who are hesitant to admit that’s how they feel too.
They know they have too much to do, but they feel guilty or lazy when they even consider doing less.
But, the truth is not identifying the tasks you can stop doing can be a real problem. And, not just for you.
A problem for you and your team
Because you’re reading this blog and diligently striving to be the best leader you can be, I suspect the following statement describes you well.
You’re good at a lot of things and you deliver results.
And, as a result, you seem to collect new responsibilities.
Extra work seems to always come your way.
That isn’t all bad because you like what you do. You may even love your work.
But, wouldn’t you love your job even more if you could stop doing a few of the tasks you’re responsible for?
Because just when you think you know what’s required of you in your job, you somehow end up with a new task.
It’s a good problem to have because others are expressing their trust in you to get things done.
But, it’s still a problem.
Assigning too many tasks to one person causes issues. And, it can destroy role clarity.
This post will help you when you find yourself in this predicament. You’ll soon be equipped to discover what you should stop doing and have good reasons to reduce the number of tasks assigned to you. Without feeling guilty about it.
As you recall from previous posts, asking what you should stop doing is the next step on the journey to improved role clarity.
A quick refresher on the 5 simple questions to create role clarity
In the post, How To Create Role Clarity With 5 Simple Questions, I introduced these five questions to help you create more role clarity for yourself, your team, or your organization.
- What Am I Doing?
- What Should I Stop Doing?
- What Should I Keep Doing?
- What Should I Start Doing?
- Who Should Review My Answers?
We outlined the simple steps to answer the question, “What Am I Doing?” in the post “Build A Strong Foundation For Role Clarity By Knowing Your Tasks.“
Using the simple exercise in that post, you got really honest and vulnerable with yourself as you created the list of all the tasks you are doing. And, because you did, you probably noticed you may be doing some things you shouldn’t be doing in your role.
But, because you’re such a go-getter, you may have actually added more tasks to your list since reading the last post.
For committed team members like you, it’s almost always easier to take on new work than to say no. And, it’s even harder to stop doing something once you’ve started doing it.
For your own good and the good of your teammates and the organization, it’s important that you stop doing some of things you are currently doing.
Here are 9 reasons I believe this is true.
9 reasons you should stop doing a task
1. Your manager has told you to not to do this task.
This first reason may seem obvious at first, but it’s not always so clear.
For instance, your boss may have told you she doesn’t want you to answer calls from the customer. Another group is supposed to be responding to customer requests.
But, the customers still have your number and you keep helping them. You are taking care of the customer, which is good, but you and your manager need to discuss how to deal with this situation so you can follow the direction she has given you.
2. It’s something you should obviously not be doing.
Some things fit in the “no brainer” category. Once you make an honest inventory of how you are spending your time, some items like this may emerge.
The earlier example of spending too much time on social media instead of doing the work you’re being paid to do might fit in this category.
3. The work isn’t adding value.
Spending hours creating a report than no one reads is something you may want to consider putting in the Stop Doing category. Too often we continue doing work without confirming it adds value.
Before you compile and email that weekly update you suspect no one looks at, talk with those you send it to. Ask them if they still need or want you to do this work.
By investing a few minutes in direct conversations with your teammates, you may confirm your suspicions and save yourself significant time each week.
Sometimes you only need to ask a few questions to find the tasks you can stop doing.
4. The task is not aligned with the organization’s vision and strategy.
Hopefully you know your organization’s vision and strategy. And, your performance goals, as well as the specific tasks in your role, are aligned with this guiding focus of the company.
Since you now have a written list of all your tasks, it’s a good time to compare that list with the overall direction of your organization.
It’s easy for our day-to-day tasks to drift away from the course we originally agreed to follow. If you find some of the things you’re doing don’t match up with the vision and strategy set by your company leaders, consider what steps you might take to stop doing these tasks.
5. What you’re doing conflicts with a company policy.
Because you exercised vulnerability when you created your inventory of all the things you’re doing in your role, you may have uncovered some things that bother you. There may be some tasks you’ve been asked to do that conflict with your company’s policies.
If that’s the case, I encourage you to talk with your manager or your Human Resources representative if you feel comfortable doing that. Or, you may have an integrity or ethics hotline you can call.
It’s important to be courageous in addressing a lack of compliance to organizational policies.
The adage “See something. Say something.” applies in this situation.
6. Your responsibilities conflict with your personal values.
The exercise to document what you are doing in your role may reveal a disconnect between what you are doing with your time at work and how you want to live your life.
If that’s the case, I encourage you to consider whether the role you’re in, or even the organization you’re with, is the right fit.
You may discover that the things you should stop doing require a move to a new position. Or, it may be time to start looking for a different employer or maybe even a new career.
7. Someone else owns the work.
If your list of tasks includes work that someone else is being paid to do, you’ve discovered opportunities to stop doing things you’re currently doing.
Addressing these items may require you to have a courageous conversation with the person who is letting you do their work for them. Or, you may have to be honest with yourself and admit that you’re doing another person’s work when they haven’t asked you to.
Only you know your motives, but it’s possible you don’t trust the person you’ve delegated a task to. Or, you think you can do it better than they can.
Regardless of your motive or theirs, if you’re doing work that is assigned to someone else, you should stop doing it or take steps to have it officially assigned to you. These actions are necessary for you and your coworkers to have role clarity.
8. Another person could develop by doing this task.
As I said in the introduction, you are likely a hungry, high achiever and always searching for new ways to add value to your team. You find things to do and you do them well.
But, you may keep doing some tasks longer than you should. It could be time for you to stop doing something, even if you’re good at it, and give someone else a chance to develop a skill.
By stepping aside, you can also give another person on your team a chance to shine and get the visibility they need to advance their career.
Consider what you can stop doing and invite the person you’re mentoring or sponsoring to take your place.
This step will be good for you, them, and your organization.
9. Someone else might do this work more effectively.
Your list of tasks is long because you do a lot of things well. But, would you be willing to entertain the idea that someone else might do the same work more effectively?
Perhaps what you’re doing should really be done by a lower level employee. Could you serve the organization better by not doing this work and instead do something only you can do?
Or, maybe you do this task and like doing it, but you’re not actually that good at it. I know that is hard to hear, but it may be true. Others on your team may be more gifted in this area. That’s okay. You’ll still have plenty of things to do.
Maybe you have also done this work because it had to be done, but you despise doing it. You hate it, but there may be others who love doing the things you can’t stand. Hard to believe I know, but it’s true.
By matching up skills and interests with the work each team member is doing, you can stop doing some things on your list. You’ll enjoy your job more and so will your teammates.
Stop doing some things without feeling guilty
Now that you’ve reviewed these reasons, I hope you’ve discovered some tasks you can stop doing. And, you can stop doing these things without feeling guilty or lazy because you have good justification and pure motives to support the actions you’re taking.
As you take this step are you feeling the role clarity starting to build? Is a little bit of the burden of all you have to do easing? The weight on your shoulders lifting, even a little?
I hope so. This exercise is meant to help you and reduce the overwhelm, not make it worse.
And, taking the next step to get clear on what you should keep doing will make your situation even better. We’ll cover that topic next and move you even closer toward role clarity in your job.
Let’s lead with kindness and confidence.
Greg
