I have a habit of wanting to take on us much as possible when working in a group setting. This ranges from work projects to planning holidays with friends to the teaching team at UCT.
It’s often intended as a noble and/or kind thing, as i want to help my team as much as possible. And it might be helpful. But taking on too much can have some negative implications, such as:
- Not giving people in the team the opportunity to learn
- Over promising and under delivering
- Stifling conversation between team members
- Leaving other team members with nothing to do
- Getting burn out from the additional stress/work
One of the best remedies for this is to trust your team. Especially if you have reason to believe they’ll do a good job. Let them take on what they’re able to handle, and be there should they need help.
Taking on all the work might feel safer, but trusting the team is ultimately more productive.
Image was taking while waiting for my Uber from town to home 🙂
Blog:Â 266/365
Song of the day:Â Just for a moment – Gryffin